


A Healing Rose

by Digibroppy



Category: Trolls 2016
Genre: F/M, Minor Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls), Trolls, trollsworldtour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:46:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 93,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Digibroppy/pseuds/Digibroppy
Summary: Broppy- Branch and Poppy have a grey situation on their hands. One year after befriending the Bergen's, Six months after the ending of the World Tour, many of the trolls live in one village in harmony. Everything seemed perfect, until a beast attacked the village, leaving Branch remembering his past which he thought was behind him. Who knew a Rose would become so special.
Relationships: Broppy
Comments: 35
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!   
> I hope you enjoy the story!  
> I do not own trolls, but love the movies. There will be a lot of Broppy fluff coming in future chapters!

Branch awoke that morning to the sounds of birds. He slowly got out of bed, yawning. He sleepily walked to the kitchen and started making himself a pot of coffee. As the coffee brewed he got a quick shower. He hummed a little tune to himself as he got ready, after finishing his shower he went to get his coffee and some berries for breakfast. He grabbed a pencil and paper, and sat down to eat. 

As he ate his food, he thought of how the last six months changed. His bunker wasn't far from the village now as they expanded to make room for the trolls who decided to live in the pop troll village. After the huge party celebrating the different trolls, they agreed that those who wanted to live amongst each other should have the chance. After talking it over, the leaders agreed pop village was the best option for the main community of trolls with the largest supply of available resources. Branch smiled to himself at the thought of how much in the past months for himself as well. He had never been happier, he grinned to himself as he wrote down a new poem. He had finally confessed to the love of his life, and he was over the moon when she said she loved him back. He blushed at the thought of her, before looking at the entrance. He could normally hear the trolls morning song by now. He shrugged as he kept writing and sipping his coffee. "My sunshine beaming through the storm..." He muttered to himself as he wrote. He got up after finishing his food, and started making pancake batter. With how busy Poppy and the leaders of the other trolls have been, he didn't have much time to hang out with Poppy as he would have liked. They agreed that every morning after the first song of the day and before the first hug time, she would meet him in his bunker for breakfast.

The trolls normally started to sing their morning song by now. Branch's ears twitched when he finally heard a sound that he guessed was a troll, it didn't sound musical at all, it sounded more like a trolling screaming. Branch shot up when he heard more voices joining in, more screams from other trolls. He quickly ran out of the room before he could hear loud drumming. As he went to go to the exit before almost losing his balance when his bunker started to shake. "What is happening?!" He gripped onto the elevator handle as the shaking stopped for a few seconds became more fierce. It kept happening for a few more minutes, until the shaking started to become a rumble, before stopping all together. 'It was large footsteps.' He thought as he quickly pulled the lever to go up. 'Was the village attacked?!' His stomach turned at the thought of the village being attacked. Once he reached the top he quickly went to open the door. When he tried to push nothing happened. He tried opening it again, but with no avail. He growled slightly and ran to one of his secret exits, but was stopped when he ran into a dirt wall. "A cave in? Great." He grumbled in frustration, and checked another exit which he was able to reach. "Good thing I planned for this." He said as he opened to the third door, taking a look around. He didn't see anything but could still hear a couple of trolls yelling, but he couldn't quite make it out. Branch stepped out of his bunker, almost falling in a large spade shaped hole in the ground the size of him. His eyes widened, as he took off into a sprint to the village.

Branch kept running, looking around frantically as he got to the village entrance, but didn't see a single troll. He slowly came to a stop, panting heavily as he looked around. Suddenly his ear twitched, he looked towards the middle of town where he could hear voices. He followed the voices, but slowly stopped when he heard what they were saying. 

"That creature attacked the mushroom!" A scared voice came, causing Branch to freeze. 

"I thought we were safe here!" A techno troll voice replied. 

Branch slowly kept walking, seeing a large crowd surrounding a mushroom stem, which used to be a home. He looked around, and stopped when he saw a blue troll with his pet worm. "Biggie!" He called, making his way through the crowd. "Biggie, what happened? I heard screaming, then felt the earth shake." He panted, "Is anyone hurt?" He asked,

Biggie looked at Branch, and hugged him tightly. "Oh Branch! It was horrible! A large beast came and killed two trolls!" He cried.

Branch froze. "Two trolls? Who..." he said quietly, hugging biggie back slightly.

"Bea and Sterling" Biggie replied sadly. Branch patted biggies back gently, knowing biggie was friends with every troll. Branch slowly looked around, trying to find a certain pink hair troll.  
While Biggie had Branch lifted off the ground, he was able to get a better look around for a certain pink hair, but his eyes landed on the wreckage. His eyes landed on something that caused him to stop breathing for a moment. "Biggie, put me down." He said, struggling slightly as biggie obeyed. When he was on the ground me quickly pushed Through the crowd to the destroyed home, with Biggie on his tail.

Biggie looked at Branch confused. "Branch, what are you doing?" Biggie asked as he realized Branch was going to go into the rubble. "Branch, you shouldn't go in there." He said worried.

Branch stared at the wreckage for a moment, seeing a puddle of blood under a pile of books, before he went searching. "There was..." Branch started rummaging through the debris for a moment before holding up a small teddy bear. He stared at it for a long minute, before looking at Biggie. "Was there a kid here? Was the kid..." his voice failed him before he couldn't finish. 

Before Biggie could answer, Smidge pushed through. "Branch, you did come." She said, and stopped when she saw the bear in his hand and looked down. 

Branch looked at smidge, before looking at Biggie. "Biggie, do you think you and some other trolls can collect everything you can save from here? Everything belonging to the family?" He asked, handing Biggie the bear. Biggie looked at the bear, then at Branch. He nodded, but handed the bear back to Branch.

"You take this with you, and we will gather all the belongings." Biggie said. "I'm sure Smidge will bring you to Poppy and the others." He smiled slightly, before he started talking to a few other trolls about the clean up.

Smidge looked at Branch. "Come on, Poppy told me to come find you." She said, and started walking out of the crowd. Branch followed, and glanced down at the bear before putting it in his hair and walked back to Smidge. 

"Was anyone else hurt?" He asked, looking at Smidge, who looked up at him. 

"There were a couple of trolls with minor injuries. Some trolls have a broken arm or leg, but nothing life threatening... other than Bea and Sterling." She said sadly. Branch gently places his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him and smile sadly."Poppy is okay, a couple scratches, but fine. you can just ask it." She teased him, causing Branch's face to darken. "I've never seen that animal before. It ran through the village, and made a beeline for their house." She said. "It has these long, weird teeth that knocked a few pods down." She pointed to a few fallen pods ahead of them. 

Branch looked at the pods. "Long teeth..." he muttered, before seeing smidge climb a tree next to him. He trailed behind her before realizing where they were heading. "Poppy is in the emergency pod?" He said, looking at smidge. "Is she there making sure others are okay?" He asked as she nodded. Smidge opened the pods door and walked in. 

"Wait here, I'll be right back. You can sit down." She told him before walking to the back of the pod behind a curtain. Branch looked around the pod, before sitting down. He could see a few beds from where he was sitting, a couple trolls with casts, a couple more with cuts on their arms and faces but nothing serious. A few minutes pass before a loud voice came.

"Branch is here?! You could have said so sooner." Branch smiled when he heard the voice. As he stood up the curtain smidge went behind and moved slightly as a pink troll peered around. When Poppy saw Branch, she smiled and quickly started walking to him. Branch let out a sigh of relief, smiling back at her. Poppy opened her arms when she was close enough to him, causing Branch to do the same. Poppy wrapped her arms around his torso, squeezing him tightly as she rested her head against his shoulder. Branch held her close, smiling more with her in his arms. "You're here earlier then I thought." She muttered into his shoulder.

"I heard screaming, and whatever attacked ran over my bunker. The shaking caused a cave in through a couple of my tunnels. But no big damage I think, I had to make it here as fast as I could." He said, before letting her go slightly. When he loosened his grip on her, he could see her hands covered in cuts. He quickly looked her over and noticed her feet and her lower legs cut as well. "Have you put any cream or disinfectant on your cuts?." He asked, seeing her not looking at him when he asked. He shook his head slightly, smiling slightly. "I know you put the village first, but you have to take care of yourself too." He told her, causing Poppy to smile at him. 

"I have you for that, don't i?" She grinned when she saw his cheek darken in colour. "Oh you dork, you don't have to worry. I will be fine." She kisses his cheek, holding his hands. "But, there is something I want to talk to you about." As she spoke, her smile faded. 

He looked at her confused for a minute, before bringing her to a free bed and sat her down. "Okay, but one moment." He said before walking to the front desk and talked to the receptionist for a moment. The receptionist took a moment to reply, glancing at poppy before nodding and gathered a few supplies and handed him a bin. She could see Branch nodding and walking back to her and closed the curtain to give them privacy. "While you talk, I'll put some cream on your cuts." He said, sitting next to her. "Your feet." He patted his leg once. 

Poppy looked at him for a moment before swinging her legs up and put them on his lap. "I should get a massage too." She teased, causing Branch to chuckle. She smiled more at his chuckled, before her smile dropped. 

He glanced at her, before taking a disinfectant cloth from his bin. He gently washed the cuts on her legs and feet. After a couple of minutes he handed her a different cloth. "Wash the cuts on your hands." He said, getting out some cream from the bin. She nodded before wincing when she felt the cream on the cuts on her leg. "Sorry, it may sting for a second but it will help." He told her as he slowly and gently rubbed the cream on her cuts. "You said you wanted to talk about something?" He reminded her as he could tell something was off. 

"That creature was going on a rampage. It knocked over a few pods before stopping in front of the mushroom houses, and ate it. I was shocked when I saw what happened. I had to help somehow. I swung from the tree and tried to scare it, but it didn't really work. When it was eating, I saw..." she stopped and looked down. Branch knew what she saw, rubbing her leg gently to try and comfort her. "I was lucky I saw movement in the rubble, Beas and Sterling's daughter was still hiding. She was so scared, and was under a lot of debris. With the help of the other trolls we were to scare it with loud drums and some threw rocks at it. I got most of these cuts from digging her out." Poppy paused and took a deep breath, causing Branch to look at her. "What I really wanted to talk about was the little girl. She has a broken arm. She is sleeping right now, and she is full of cuts and bruises." She looked at him. "But before you see her, I had to let you know..." she went silent, looking towards the bed at the end where she came from earlier.

Branch waiting a moment before speaking. "Let me know what?" He looked at her, moving her legs from his lap gently and took her hands on his. He rubbed her hands gently, trying to soothe her as well as put the cream on her cuts.

She stopped him, gripping his hands in hers. She looked him in the eye as she built up the courage to speak again.

"She's grey."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back everyone!  
> I hope you liked the first chapter. I don't own trolls. I couldn't really think of a unique name for the creature that attacked, so I just went with a regular animal. I'm going to try to update weekly with chapters. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

Grey. 

That word rang through Branch's head. His eyes widened when poppy told him, but he was unable to speak. Sure, the village had turned grey before, but this was different. This was similar to why he turned grey. He quickly glanced at his hands, seeing them still blue.  
Poppy couldn't take her eyes off him. She has no idea how he would react. Poppy noticed him look at his hands, and gently rubbed them with her thumbs. Her motion caused Branch to look at her. "I thought you should be the first to know..." she spoke softly. 

Branch shook his head slightly. "Thank you for telling me. Does she have any other family she can stay with? She shouldn't be alone."

Poppy slowly shook her head. "No, she has no living family left. There are lots of trolls who were friends with her parents. I'm sure someone will be wanting to take her in." She said hopefully. 

Branch was quiet for a moment, not looking at her. "You would have to find the right family. It's harder when the kid is grey. She needs to know she's understood. And if she wants space then she needs it given, but also needs to not be alone. It's...complicated." He looked away, sighing. "It's not going to be easy for her or the family. They need to be understanding, and patient. Very patient."  
Poppy moved closer to him and held him, feeling his arms and going around her in return. "I'll make sure we find the right trolls for her. I know this is hard on you Branch. I can imagine it's bringing back bad memories. If you want to stay out of it, you can."

Branch shook his head. "No. I'd rather be there, in case something happens." He let her go and handed poppy a pair of slippers. He stood up, looking at her. "Make sure you use the slippers, you don't want to slip."

Poppy smiled at him. "You are such a worry wart." She teased, before placing a hand on his cheek. "Are you sure you're okay Branch? You can talk to me." 

Branch smiled softly at her. "I know, and I'm okay." He kissed her softly for a moment. "Are you okay? You have gone through a lot today, and I don't think I even heard the first hug time go off." He looked at his bracelet then looked at her. 

She held his hand and nodded. "For now, I will be okay. I have to focus on Rose and the village." She said, before feeling branch tense. "Branch?" She looked at him confused. 

"Oh, no. It's nothing." He said, before opening the curtain. "You came from the far bed, is she in that one?" He looked at her. Poppy nodded and led him to where the trolling was. Branch stopped just close enough where he could see Smidge, but not the child.

Poppy glanced at him before she went to smidge. "Is she still sleeping?" Poppy asked.

"She is. The doctor did stop by to check on her, and all was good." Smidge could see Branch around the corner. "Branch? Are you coming in?" She asked.

Branch took a moment before walking in and stopped at the end of the bed. He looked up to see the little grey troll. She was quite small, a couple centimeters smaller than smidge. She had a cast around her left lower arm as well as a few cuts and bruises on her face. Her right arm had an IV cord in it,he looked up to see a couple monitors in the room as well. "She's so young..." he whispered. Poppy placed a hand on his shoulder.

Smidge looked at him. "Do you want the seat?" She asked him, standing up from the seat.

“Oh, no. It's okay Smidge." He said, his eyes not leaving the bed. "Is it just a broken arm she has?" He asked. He glanced at Smidge who nodded. "That's good then, nothing too serious."

"Queen Poppy!" A voice came as Queen Essence came into the emergency pod along with her husband King Quincy. "We heard what happened." She said as Branch quickly stepped back, letting them in to see poppy. Essence looked at the bed and gasped. "So it's true. A grey troll..." she whispered.

Poppy looked at them, as King Quincy spoke. "King Trollex and Delta dawn are out gathering trolls to help clean up, while Trollzart is taking a group of trolls to look around the area to make sure no one else is hurt." He informed her. "We heard you rescued her, that was very brave of you." He walked over to her.

"Oh, it was nothing. I'm just glad no one else got terribly hurt." Poppy smiled at them slightly, seeing their eyes on the child. "She is doing okay so far. She fell asleep as soon as I got her up here. She has a broken arm and quite a few cuts and bruises."

“Oh the poor child. I can't believe this happened." Essence said sadly. "How old is she?" She looked at poppy. 

"She is about 3 and a half." Poppy said, hearing essence gasp.

"We have never had a grey troll before, let alone one this young. Is there a plan Queen Poppy?" King Quincy asked.

"Well..." Poppy thought for a moment. "Maybe we should ask around, See who knows her well and may be able to look after her for now until we think of something." She suggested, as King Quincy nodded. Suddenly Poppy heard her name, looking at the door to see Barb, Delta, and Trollex coming their way. "You are here. How is everything out there?"

"Lots of trolls are panicked, worried." Delta said, glancing at the grey trolling. "Most of them are worried about the gal."

"And they're worried about you Popsqueak. How are you?" Barb asked, seeing the cuts on her hands. 

“Oh, I'm fine! I'm just glad no one else got hurt." She said, looked at them. "We have never had this happen before. I heard a few asking if it was safe here. I assure you, we never had any thing like this happen with any creatures from the forest."

“Don't blame yourself Poppy. There are risks anywhere we go." King Trollex assured her.

“We can talk to everyone about what happened later. Make sure they understand it's still safe here." Delta commented, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No one would have thought anything like this would happen. It was an accident."

Poppy smiled at them. "Thank you all. I don't want anyone to feel unsafe here." She said, before she smiled more. "Oh! Branch is the best with safety! He may have some ideas to help. If you can think of anything?" Poppy said, looking at Branch.

Branch nodded slowly. "That creature isn't native to this area. If how smidge describes it, I called them boars. They're normally timid creatures, and eat plants and mushrooms. I've never seen one anywhere near the village, only way down past the waterfall. For one to be in the village, something must have happened." He informed them. "From what I've observed, they don't like the smell of wild galaxa flowers which normally bloom around the village. Since it's the end of summer, they're starting to die off. It may be a reason for it getting into the village. They normally travel to warmer areas in the winter, so we shouldn't have to worry about them. Next year I will grow some more for the later summer to try and prevent this from happening again." He thought out loud.

“Well, isn't boy toy a smarty pants." Barb snickered. "How do you know all that Branch?"

Branch frowned. "Stop calling me that. And I had a lot of free time when I was younger, so I explored the forest farther than the other trolls." He crossed his arms.

“That's very good information Branch, thank you. Until the cold comes we will have some trolls keep a lookout." King Quincy said as the others agreed.

Branch nodded, glad he was able to help. His attention was brought back to the child. He could see her face scrunch up the more everyone talked. Branch looked at Poppy and whispered so only she could hear. "I don't mean to be rude, but There are a lot of trolls here. She may get too overwhelmed if she wakes up and sees a lot of trolls she doesn't really know." He informed her.

She looked at the trolling, then at the other leaders. "With all of us here, she may get scared." She told the leaders. "We should go talk to Trollzart and update him on what happened." She asked, then looked at Branch. "Do you want to stay here?" He nodded. "Okay, I will come back in a bit. Let me know if anything changes." She kissed his cheek, causing him to blush slightly. "Let's go to my pod to talk!" She told the other leaders, shooting them away. "See you later Smidge!" She called, as Smidge waves back.

Smidge looked at Branch once the others left. "Are you okay Branch?"

He nodded. "I mean, I've been better." He sighed. "I don't want what happened to me to happen to her." He confessed. Smidge was quiet for a moment. "The other troll leaders acted like they had never seen a grey troll before." She admitted. "They also don't know about you. Are you going to tell them?" She asked, before seeing him tense. "I'm sorry for praying. If you don't want anyone else knowing, you may want to let Poppy know." Branch shook his head. "No, it's fine Smidge. If they find out, they find out. It's not like we can tell all the pop trolls to not talk about it." He said, looking at the trolling, as Smidge nodded not saying anything. They were quiet for a couple of minutes, before Branch noticed that she was shaking. "Hey, Smidge, is she shaking?" He took a step closer to the child. Smidge looked at the trolling . "She is." She looked at him. "Maybe we should get the doctor." He suggested as smidge nodded and quickly went to get the doctor. Branch looked at the child, glancing at the monitor. "Hey kid." He spoke softly and quietly. "You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you. You're not alone." He placed a hand on her right hand, holding it gently. Branch could feel the child shaking under his hand. Branch's ear twitched, hearing footsteps. He looked up, seeing the doctor quickly coming in. "She's shaking, I don't think that's normal." Branch told doctor moon. Doctor Moon, a pop troll with pink hair and purple skin, quickly went to the trollings side, looking at the monitors. "It looks like she's having a nightmare." Moon said, checking the child's pulse and her breath. "Rose, rose. Listen to me. You need to relax. You're okay." She told the child. Doctor Moon looked at Branch, seeing his hand on the child's hand. "Branch, you talk to her." Her statement shocked Branch, causing him to look at her. "What? Why me?" He asked. "I heard you talking to her before we got here. Her heart is beating the more I talk to her. You are also the one who understands her the most. Until Smidge comes back with the others, you're her best shot." She smiled at Branch, before taking a step back. Branch looked at her, still surprised, before looking at the child. He could see her eyes shut right, moving her head to the side. "Um, hey kid. I know you're scared, but you need to open your eyes." He spoke softly, gently squeezing her hand. He noticed the child stopped moving, but her eyes still closed shut. "You are not alone." He said, seeing the child relaxing the more he spoke. "Come on kid. You can open your eyes." He said one more time, before waiting to see if she responded. After a few more minutes she relaxed more but still wouldn't open her eyes. "Is she okay now?" Branch asked the doctor, who nodded. "That's good." He looked at the doctor for a moment, then looked back at the trolling. His eyes widened when he saw it. Her baby blue eyes opened.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!   
> In this chapter, I used lyrics from 'Gone too soon' from Simple Plan. In my head, it sounds slower then their version, but I love the song! I don't own trolls,but Rose is my oc. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Her baby blue eyes stared into his. They started swelling up with tears as she slowly looked around. Her sobs filled the air as she recalled what happened. "Rose, I'm Doctor Moon. You will be okay. How are you feeling?" She took a step closer to Rose, but stopped when Rose started screaming. Both Doctor Moon and Branch jumped in surprise. "It's okay rose. I'm not going to hurt you." She said but rose started flailing her arms and legs, throwing her pillow at doctor moon. Her IV cords whipping in the air, hitting branch's hand as she moved rapidly. She grabbed towels that were next to her and threw them at both the strangers in the room.

Branch did his best to keep the cords from getting tangled on anything, catching a towel in the process. "Kid. Hey." He spoke loudly, causing the kid to quickly look at him. She was breathing heavily and shaking, scared of the strangers around her. "We aren't going to hurt you." He spoke softly this time as he slowly reached into his hair and pulled out the teddy bear he found. "This is yours, isn't it?" He slowly handed it to her.

Rose froze when she saw the toy. She wiped her eyes, and shakily reached for the bear. When she reached for the bear she saw her hand and stopped, staring at her hand. She reached for her hair and gasped when she saw it, tears flowing from her eyes as she realized what happened to herself. "Hey, hey. Kid, it's okay. Look at me." Branch whispered to her. "You aren't alone. You are not alone. We want to help you." He placed the bear next to her, keeping his hand close to the bear. "You aren't the only one this has happened to." He went to say more but stopped when he heard loud footsteps coming towards the room. 

"Branch! Smidge said something was wrong!" Poppy along with the other leaders came around the corner, seeing the trolling. Rose jumped, her eyes wide when she saw all the trolls. She quickly tried to jump off the bed to hide, but her IV cords ripped out of her arm, causing her to scream in pain. Branch quickly caught her before she hit the floor, holding her so she wouldn't fall. Rose started flailing about, hitting his chest and arms as she fought against him. Branch did his best to hold her carefully, making sure to not to grab her broken arm. He wrapped his arm around the upper part of her body and arms so her back was against his stomach, keeping her from hitting him much more. Rose kept swinging her legs, her heels digging into Branch's leg but he ignored it and placed the towel he caught earlier on her arm to apply pressure on her bleeding arm.

Rose yelling and crying out loudly, her fight against Branch still going strong. She banged her head against his chest, trying to escape but Branch kept a hold of her. "Rose, please stop. You may get hurt more." He told her, but wasn't getting through. Her screams filled the air, the pain and sadness making everyone heart heavy. He quickly looked around, seeing them all staring at himself and rose. He stiffened slightly, before he used his hair to hide the two of them in a bubble, shielding themselves from the stares. He held Rose tighter, his eyes closed as he opened his mouth.

"Hey there now." He barely whispered, his voice full of sadness and hurt as he sang. 

"Where'd you go." His voice rose, causing the others in the room to hear. 

"You left me here. So unexpected." Rose slowly stopped screaming, breathing heavily as her tears never stopped. 

"You changed my life. I hope you know. 'Cause now I'm lost. So unprotected." Branch opened his eyes, seeing rose staring up at him. He smiled softly as he held her close. 

"In the blink of an eye. I never got to say goodbye." Those words broke Poppy's heart. She stared at Branch's hair, wishing she could help somehow. Poppy could hear Rose crying more, it sounded full of sadness and heartache.

"Like a shooting star. flying across the room. So fast so far, you were gone too soon." The other leaders could hear the sadness in Branch's voice, and slowly backed away from the room. Poppy was the only one left standing in the room along with doctor moon.

"You're a part of me, and I'll never be the same here without you. You were gone too soon." He finished, seeing Rose turning around so she could grab his vest, clinging to him as she cried. He gently rubbed her back as he slowly brought his hair up back to normal. He looked around slowly, seeing only Poppy and Doctor Moon. He slowly moved Rose's arm so Doctor Moon could look at her injury. 

Doctor Moon quickly moved next to Branch, grabbing an aid kit next to Rose's bed to help with her wound. "Easy rose. You are okay. It's not bad." Doctor Moon spoke gently as Rose kept crying. After a few minutes doctor moon finished wrapping her wound and she took a step back. "Okay, that will do it." Doctor moon stood by poppy, giving Rose space.

Branch kept a hold of Rose, feeling the child shake in his arms. He gently swayed, rocking her hoping to keep her calm. The sounds of Rose's crying changed, it wasn't tears of physical pain anymore. Branch knew she was crying for her parents, letting her cry as she kept a tight hold of Branch's vest. 

Branch held her for an hour, gently rocking her as her tears kept flowing. He looked down when he heard sniffling. "Hey, kid. Feel better now?" He didn't get a response. "How is your arm? Does it still hurt?" He felt her shake her head against his chest. "Do you want me to put you back in the bed?" He asked her softly. She slowly looked up at him, seeing Branch smile slightly at her and shook her head. He nodded, and kept rocking her gently. "I'm Branch by the way, thought you may want to know." He picked up her bear. "Does this guy have a name?" He asked, seeing her nod slowly. "Will you tell me his name?" He could see her mouth open slightly, but no words coming out. 

After a moment Doctor Moon spoke. "Rose, can you say Branch's name?" She asked, seeing Rose look at her and slightly nod before quickly shook her head. "Was that a yes or a no?" Moon asked again, but didn't get an answer this time. "Can you say anything? Maybe sing us a song?" She pushed slightly but rose quickly looked away. "It's okay, you don't have to answer yet. How about I get you some food? Are you hungry?" She tried to change the subject but didn't get an answer from the trolling. "Okay. I'm going to go update the others and get you a snack, I will be right back." She told them, before slowly backing out of the room.

Branch looked at the doctor, about to speak but didn't. He looked at Poppy, who stood by the bed, unsure of how she could help. Branch nodded towards the bed, motioning her to sit. Poppy slowly sat on the end of the bed, still giving Branch and Rose space. He looked at the child, and reached into his hair to grab a notebook and pencil. "Can you write? Or draw?" He opened it to a blank page and held it out to her. She looked at him, still cautious but took them with her better hand. Branch looked at her as she slowly started writing. After a minute she slowly tilted the book up to him. Branch looked at the word written on it, 'Bebe'. Branch looked at it confused for a moment before he looked at her. "Is that your bear's name?" He saw her nod, causing Branch to smile. "I like that name. Bebe the bear." 

Rose looked Branch up and down, before grabbing her bear and holding it tightly to her chest. "Rose, you have gone through a lot today. Do you understand what happens?" He asked quietly. Rose stopped at his words, but didn't look at him. He could tell she knew, so he didn't push it.

Branch glanced at Poppy, seeing her watching them. Branch took a deep breach, before letting it out in a sigh, he moved rose slightly so she could see him better. "When I was younger, I lost my only family as well. They were taken from me, and I turned grey." He told her, causing her to look at him shocked. "It's hard to understand the changes that will happen now, but you are not alone Rose." He gently placed a hand on hers, smiling softly at her. Rose looked at him, still shocked but held his hand tightly. He placed his other hand on her back gently, keeping her close. "Hey, since you can write, how are you at drawing? Can you draw Bebe for me?" She looked at him, before looking at her hands, one in a cast and the other holding his hand and she shook her head. "I can move my hand-" he started before she quickly shook her head, shocking Branch. She tightened her grip on his hand. "Okay, okay. I'll leave my hand there." He said softly, still surprised she wanted his hand there with her.

Poppy smiled at them, admiring how gentle Branch was with rose. She didn't see Branch interact with many of the trollings in the village. Rose looked over at Poppy, staring at her. "Hey rose, how are you feeling?" She smiled, moving closer to them slightly. Rose glanced at Branch, who nodded slightly. She looked back at Poppy and shrugged slowly.

"You know Rose, it's because of Poppy you made it to the emergency pod so quickly." Branch whispered to rose, seeing Poppy blush slightly indicating she heard. Rose looked at him confused, before looking at poppy seeing the cuts on her hands and feet. "She swooshed down and tried to scare the creature away. She found you and brought you here." Rose stared at Poppy in awe, tilting her head slightly as if asking Poppy if it was true.

Poppy smiled sheepishly. "It wasn't as amazing as Branch made it sound. I'm just glad I found you Rose." Poppy smiled at her. Rose nodded, before yawning.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Doctor Moon came back with some food for Rose. "Hey you three." She smiled, seeing the notebook next to rose. "Oh, did you find a way to talk?" She said happily. Rose tensed up, looking at the doctor carefully. She placed a couple berries and a cupcake on the table next to Rose and Branch.

"I think so. I think she would rather write things down. Am I right kid?" Branch gently squeezed Rose's hand, getting her attention. Rose slowly nodded, looking at the book.

Doctor Moon smiled. "Oh, that's wonderful Rose." She stood a few steps away from them. "How is your arm? Does it hurt?" She pointed to Rose's arm that had the IV. Rose slowly shook her head. "That's good. How about the other arm? Does that one hurt? I know it may be itchy, but does it hurt?" She specified, seeing Rose shake her head again. "Great! Now, anywhere else on your body hurting? Can you point to it?" She asked, glad Rose was finally communicating with her. Rose thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "That's perfect Rose. We did give you some pain medication to help you with any pain , so they are working. You will be in that cast for a couple of weeks, okay? You have to be careful with it." She informed her, as well as Branch. Doctor Moon slowly walked to Roses side. "Now Rose, there are a lot of changes going to happen now." She said, causing Rose to look down sadly. "I'm going to keep you here for another few hours as well, keep an eye out in case anything happens. If you need anything, just push the call button." She smiled at Rose, before going to the end of the bed and looking at Branch. "Branch, Poppy, would you like me to get a nurse to stay with her?" 

They both shook their heads. "No. I'd rather stay." He said, before looking at Rose. "If that's okay with you Rose?" He asked her, seeing her nodded. Branch smiled and looked at doctor moon who nodded. Poppy quietly moved from the bed, to leaning against the wall, smiling as she watched them.

Branch looked at Rose, then at the food. "Here, you should eat something." He placed the table closer to her to eat. She looked at the food and shook her head. "Alright, you don't have to eat yet. What about a nap? I can imagine you are tired." He said, seeing her look at him. "I won't go anywhere, I promise." He smiled at her. She stared at him for a minute before she nodded. Branch slowly stood up and laid her down on the bed, her bear laying next to her. She kept a tight hold on his hand, staring at his hand before she closed her eyes. Branch waited a few minutes, before he could hear her breaths even out, confirming she was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Welcome back!  
> I finally got to some broppy fluff in this chapter, not a lot but it's something! There will be a lot more fluff in a few chapters! I don't own trolls, but Rose is my oc. I hope you like it!

It was quiet in the room, very unusual since Poppy was there. Branch looked at her. "What's wrong Poppy? You're never this quiet." He reached for her hand.

Poppy looked at him and reached her hand back, squeezing his hand. "Nothing, Just thinking." She assured him, but it didn't work. 

"Somethings wrong. Come here." He gently tugged her arm, trying to get her closer. "tell me what's wrong." He smiled at her. She smiled back at him and sat on his lap. She leaned her head against his shoulder, snuggling into his warmth. He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"I just..." She stopped to think for a moment. "I didn't mean to scare her, I thought she was still asleep. I don't want her to be scared. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say." She whispered to him. 

He glanced back at her, before looking at Rose who was still holding his hand. "It wasn't your fault she got scared. There were a lot of trolls she didn't know." He looked back at her. "You have always been good with trollings, and she's no different. She may have gone through something terrible, but you can speak to her how you normally speak to the others. Nothing needs to change. You can also do what you did with me, just more gently and maybe less glitter. She's going to need to see those cupcakes and rainbows." He teased.

She giggled at his words. "You're right. I'm overthinking this." She looked at Rose. "Thank you Branch." Poppy smiled as she looked at their hands. 

"No, thank you Queen Poppy." He nuzzled her cheek gently. "If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you either." She looked at him confused. "I mean, I wouldn't be in the village, going to parties or wearing this hug bracelet. I'd still be gathering supplies and be in my bunker all the time."

"You have grown so much as a troll. I'm so proud of you." She placed a hand in his cheek, grinning when she saw the blush that came to his cheeks. "Oh you're so cute!" She kissed him softly. 

"I'm not cute." He muttered after she pulled away. 

"You are cute!" She moved so she could be face to face, grinning from ear to ear which he'd cause him to chuckle and smile back. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed! Such a cute smile, and nose!" She cooed him, giggling. "And don't get me started on your adorable ears!" 

His eyes widened slightly. "My ears?" He barely whispered, but Poppy caught it and looked at him curious. Branch smiled lightly at her, before he changed the subject. "Anyways, have you and the others thought of anything? I know it wasn't long since you all left." 

Poppy shook her head. "We haven't heard back from any of the trolls yet, though Queen Essence said she will look after her until we find someone else who wants to take care of her. So at least that's something." She sighed sadly. 

Branch held her close. "It's a start. Maybe once she's up again you can ask her if there are any trolls she knows?" He looked at her. "Since she prefers to write instead of speak, she needs someone who is very patient and willing to take the time to understand her more than others." He looked at Rose who snores slightly, a whimper leaving her lips as he could see a tear running down her face. "She deserves a family. I just hope she doesn't have to go from home to home." He muttered under his breath.

Poppy could tell by Branch's face he experienced it. "You went through that, didn't you?" She saw him slowly nod. "Oh Branch." She hugged him tightly.

"It's fine. It's in the past." He looked back at her. "If possible, when you guys discuss anything about Rose, make sure she's there or is told what was discussed right away. Make sure she gets a say in whatever happens." His words caused Poppy to look at him confused. "I never really got a say. We had just found a place to build our new home, everyone was too busy to look after a grey troll back then." He explained, causing Poppy to frown. 

"You never had a say? But my dad always-" she started but Branch interrupted her.

"You're dad just led us to a new place to live. He had so much on his plate already. He just saved all the trolls from trollstice, he had to help all the other trolls build new homes, and he had to raise you. I didn't want to bother him or anyone else. Most of it is my fault for not saying anything, but I'm not going to let that happen to her. I will make sure she gets what she wants." His voice laced with regret and determination. 

Poppy stared at him for a moment, before smiling. "Of course Branch. I'll make sure she gets a say. I will also get your opinion on the matters as well." She promised. "I'm sorry you never got that chance." 

Branch smiled back at her, kissing her nose. "You have nothing to be sorry for Poppy. It was years ago, a lot has changed. Besides, You're the only one who looked past my colours." He rested his forehead against hers, their noses touching gently. He opened his mouth to say more but felt something on his left hand move. He moved away from Poppy and saw Rose slowly sitting up. "Hey kid, you're awake."

Poppy looked at Rose and grinned. "Rose, did you have a nice nap?" She turned towards Rose, who let go of Branch's hand and held her bear tightly. "You must be hungry, there is still food there for you." She motioned to the food. Rose looked at the food, placing her bear down and picked up a blueberry and started nibbling on it. After she finished the blueberry she looked at the rest of the fruit, before she eyed the cupcake. Poppy giggled. "That cupcake looks very good. What flavour is it?" Rose looked at Poppy, before she grabbed the cupcake. She bit into the cupcake , getting it all over her face. She held the cupcake towards poppy, showing the red inside. Poppy grinned. "That looks like strawberry! That's one of my favorites!" Rose nodded, taking another bite, eating more of the icing this time.

Branch chuckled slightly. "You got some icing on your cheek." He pointed to her left cheek. Rose put her cupcake down, and wiped her face with her hand, smudging it. "No, it spread." He said, causing Rose to frown slightly, rubbing her cheek again. "Now the other side." He said and she did the same thing. "Alright, you got most of it." He said. She nodded before going back to the rest of her cupcake. She took another big bite, getting more icing and crumbs on her face. Both Branch and Poppy smiled, and let her eat the rest of her cupcake. 

Poppy grabbed a napkin from the side table once Rose finished. "You have a little more on your face. May I?" She smiled. Rose looked at her, before nodding slightly. Poppy stood up and leaned towards the trolling and gently placed the napkin on her cheek. Roses eyes shut tightly, as if waiting for something to happen. Poppy gently wiped her cheeks and nose, going slow to make sure not to startle her. "And there! All done." She grinned, sitting back on Branch's lap. Rose opened her eyes and looked at her, before nodding. 

Rose looked at the notebook and picked it up. She took a minute to write in it, before showing Branch. He blushed slightly, causing Poppy to lean over and see what the child wrote. "Why am I sitting on Branch's lap? Well, why not? It's comfortable!" Poppy grinned at Rose, before cuddling into Branch. "Do you want to come sit on his lap too?" She held her arms out towards rose. Rose looked at them and opened her mouth, before closing it and nodding slightly. Poppy grinned before picking her up and setting her on Branch's other leg. "There! If you ever want a hug or anything rose, just let us know. We will gladly give you one."

"Hey, when did I become a chair?" Branch looked at them, before leaning towards Rose, putting his hand up by his face so poppy couldn't see his mouth move but Rose could. "Just so you know, if Poppy doesn't get her hourly hug she goes crazy." He whispered to Rose, but Poppy heard it and pouted.

"What?! I do not!" She playfully hit his arm, causing Branch to chuckle more. Rose looked at them, before she started writing more. She turned the book back to them, causing them both to blush more.

"N-no, we aren't married." He flustered. Rose looked at him confused before writing 'why not' in the book. "Because it's too early. Do you have any questions that aren't about us?" He asked, trying to hide his blush, causing Poppy to giggle.

She looks at Poppy, before she started writing again. After a few minutes she turned her notebook, 'Thank you.' Poppy looked at it, before smiling at Rose. "You don't have to thank me Rose, I'm just glad you're safe." She gently placed her finger on Rose's nose, giggling as Rose stared at her finger. "Oh you are so cute! Can I have a hug?" Poppy held her arms towards her. Rose stared at her, unsure at first before she slowly stood up on branch's leg and stumbled onto poppy. Branch has his hand behind Rose to make sure she didn't fall, keeping an eye on her as she balances on his leg. Poppy wrapped her arms around the little trolling, hugging her close but gently. "Oh thank you Rose." She smiled. Rose looked up at the older troll hugging her, before placing her head on her chest and wrapped her arm around her, hugging her back. Poppy held her close, not letting go until Rose wanted her to. 

Branch smiled as he watched them, seeing Poppy wasn't nervous like before. He felt Poppy relax at the hug, as well as he saw Rose opening up. He smiled more at the thought. His arm still around Poppy, bringing her closer to him. 

Poppy glanced at Branch before smirking. She leaned down towards Rose and whispered. "I think Branchie is jealous." She giggled, seeing Branch's eyes lock onto hers. "Oops. He heard me." She grinned.

"I am not jealous." He stated. Rose looked at him, before she slowly pulled away from Poppy and sat on her lap. Poppy looked down at Rose, keeping her arms around her protectively. Rose reached her hand towards Branch's free hand. He slowly moved his hand towards her outstretched one, not sure what she wanted. Rose wrapped her hand around one of his fingers, bringing his hand over so it rested on Poppy's arm. She looked at him and patted his hand, causing Branch to chuckle. "Well, Thank you Rose." He kept his arm where Rose placed it. "Do you have any other questions Rose?"

Rose thought for a moment before she started writing. Her ears fell slightly as she wrote, catching the attention of both of them. She slowly turned the notebook revealing her question. 

'Will I always be grey?'


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> This chapter is longer than the others, so even more to read! I hope you like it! I don't own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

'Will I always be grey?'

Branch and Poppy stared at the paper that was held by the trolling. Branch looked at her, seeing the sad expression on her face. "No." He answered after a moment, "You won't always be grey. I know right now it's hard, it's hard to see past it. It may take a couple weeks or months, but you won't be grey forever." He slowly moved his hand and placed it on top of her head. "Being grey doesn't change who you are." He told her. Rose looked up at him, holding her bear tightly. "You are not alone Rose." He smiled at her.

Poppy smiled at Branch's words. "Branch is right Rose. You aren't alone. You have us, and I'm sure there are others out there who will love to be your friend!" She smiled down at the trolling who looked back at her. Rose placed her bear down and reached up and held one of Branch's fingers before nodding. 

"If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask okay?" Branch told her before his ear twitched, hearing a set of footprints coming their way. Biggie soon peered around the corner. 

"Biggie! Mr Dinkles!" Poppy smiled when she saw them. "What are you two doing here?" Poppy asked. Rose looked at the big troll and the worm, squeezing Branches hand tightly. Branch whispered softly to Rose to keep her calm as Biggie started speaking.

"We came to check on you. Everything is cleared out like you asked Branch. We got quite a few things that weren't damaged. We found a spare pod to put it all in for safe keeping." Biggie said, seeing Rose holding Branch's hand.

"Thank you Biggie." Branch replied, smiling before looking at Poppy. "If you two don't mind, I have to get up for a few minutes." He said, seeing them look at him. "I have to go." He said, feeling Roses grip on his finger tighten. "I have to use the bathroom Kid, you don't want to come." He kissed Poppys cheek before she stood up, Rose still in her arms. "I'll be right back." He stood up and went to biggie.

They both walked to the lobby, where Branch saw the leaders stand up immediately when they saw him. Branch looked around to see the snack pack was there as well. "Branch! How is Rose? Is she okay?" Queen Essence asked worriedly.

"Oh, yes. She is fine. She took a small nap, and is now awake. Sorry we never informed you earlier." He said. "She got overwhelmed with a lot of trolls she doesn't know. I am going to go back if a couple of you wanted to join me, I'll just be a few minutes." He said, before Biggie stopped in.

"Have you eaten yet, Branch? It's lunch time now, do you want me to get you some food?" He asked. As if on que, Branch's stomach growled. 

His face darker slightly in embarrassment. "Actually Biggie, that would be great. I'm sure Poppy hasn't eaten, or eaten much either if you could get something for her as well." Branch smiled at him. 

"Great! I baked a fresh batch of cupcakes this morning! I'll bring them over for everyone, I'll be right back!" Biggie said excitedly, before running to his pod. 

Branch went to do his business and arrived back in the lobby a few minutes later. He looked around at all the trolls. "Since she doesn't really know anyone here, only a couple of you can come see her at a time. Who is going in first?" Branch asked, seeing King Quincy and Queen Essence stand up.

"Since we may be taking her in, we all agreed we will see her first." King Quincy stated, causing Branch to nod. 

"I'm here!" Biggie's voice came. Everyone looked at the door to see Biggie holding a large basket full of cupcakes. He handed everyone a cupcake, but gave three to Branch.

Branch smiled at him. "Thank you Biggie, I'm sure they will love these. You all don't have to wait here either if you don't want to, I'm sure Poppy will come find you all later."

"We want to be here." Satin said, causing Branch to look at her. "We want to be here for Rose."

"and for you and Poppy." Chenille finished, both of them smiling at him. 

"Yeah! We want to wait." Cooper grinned, causing Branch to smile at the group knowing they were there.

"Thanks guys." He said, before feeling Fuzzbert against his leg. He looked down, and saw Smidge joining in in the hug.

"Oh! Group hugs!" Cooper said as the others hugged Branch as well. 

"What?! Group hug?!" Poppy's voice came, causing the others to laugh.

"Okay guys, careful. You're going to ruin Biggies cupcakes." Branch said, squirming out of the hug after a few minutes. "Poppy will be out for that hug I'm sure, but I'll see you later." He smiled at them before he looked at the funk royals. "Before you go in, I'm going to let Rose know. If you don't mind waiting a couple of minutes outside the door?" Branch said, leading them to Rose's room. 

"We understand. Thank you Branch." Queen Essence smiled at him. "If you don't mind me asking Branch, the way you handle Rose...Do you have experience with grey trolls?" She asked, looking at Branch.

Branch glanced at her, before looking forward. "You could say that, yeah. It's not the first time the pop trolls have had a grey troll." He said, before he looked at them. "Has anyone told you about the past of pop trolls? With the Bergen's?" He asked, seeing them nod their head. "Well, there were some back then." He said, before stopping. "I'll be right back." He said, before turning the corner.

"There was a group hug?! I missed it!" Poppy said immediately when she saw Branch, before her eyes widened at the cupcakes in his hands. "Oh, those look like Biggies cupcakes!" She grinned. 

"Nothing gets past you." Branch chuckled, handing her one and placing one down for Rose as well who was now sitting on the bed. "Biggie quickly ran to his pod and got them for everyone." 

Poppy happily bit into her cupcake. "Biggie makes the best cupcakes!" She grinned.

Branch smiled, before looking at Rose. "Rose, do you have any family, or friends of the family that might be able to look after you?" Branch asked her, seeing her ears drop and shake her head. "Well, Queen Essence and King Quincy said they will look after you. They are here as well. They would like to meet you. Is it okay if they come in?" He asked, seeing her clamp up a bit. "You should give them a chance, get to know them."

Rose looked down, unsure. Poppy looked at her before speaking. "They're very nice, I'm sure you will love them once you get to know them." She smiled, icing on her face.

Rose still didn't move, but soon felt something on her back. She looked up to see both Poppy and Branch had their hands on her back. "You should give them a chance." Branch spoke, causing Rose to glance at him. "It's a big change, and may be scary and hard. You should give them a chance, you may grow to like them." He smiled slightly at her, seeing her slowly nod. "Poppy and I will go-" he started but was interrupted by Rose shaking her head rapidly. "Or not, okay. We will stay here. You will answer their questions though, right? Get to know them?" He asked as Rose nodded her head. "Good." He smiled, seeing Poppy watching them. "What?" 

"Oh, nothing." Poppy smiled, standing up to kissing his cheek quickly. She laughed when she pulled back, seeing icing on his cheek. Branch frowned slightly, rubbing the icing on his cheek before he pointed to her face. "That came from me, huh?" She grinned, before feeling Branch's lips on her cheek. She shivered slightly when she felt him quickly lick some icing off her cheek. Her cheeks turned bright pink. "Branch! Rose is watching!" She whispered to him, before seeing Rose had started eating her cupcake. 

"No she's not." He smirked, before he turned and walked to the door. "Come in." He said, before going back to Poppy's side, who was still blushing madly.

They both walked in, seeing Rose eating the cupcake. "Hello Rose." Queen Essence smiled at her, lowering her head to see Rose, who froze when she saw the funk queen. Rose slowly placed her cupcake down and stumbled to Branch and poppy. "You don't have to be scared dear." She said, seeing Rose glance at her. "We wanted to come say hi. How are you feeling?" Rose lifted her shoulders, before nodding slightly.

Branch handed Rose the notebook. "She doesn't talk, she prefers to write." Branch said, before he started eating his cupcake. 

~~~

After twenty minutes, Rose slowly opened up to them a bit. She sat in the bed, drawing as the adults talked. Doctor Moon soon came in. "You're looking better Rose." She smiled, as Rose slowly nodded. "Are you in any pain?" She asked, as Rose slowly nodded and pointed to her cast and lifted her other arm where the IV was ripped out. Doctor moon checked both her arms. "The pain meds are wearing out, as I thought. I'm going to give you some stuff to help with the pain okay? As I said earlier, it will be a couple of weeks for this cast to come off. Your other arm should be fine in a day or two, just be careful okay?" She smiled as Rose nodded and placed her bear on her cast. "I'd say you're good to go. You have gotten much better in the last few hours." She smiled, before looking at Branch then to the royals. "Who will be taking care of her? There is a list of stuff we will need to go over." 

"We will." Quincy spoke, as Essence nodded in agreement.

"Alright. There is some paperwork as well, if you two don't mind coming with me." Doctor moon said, before going to the lobby.

"We will gather her stuff while you're finishing that." Poppy smile at them.

"Thank you Poppy." Essence smiled back, before going with her husband to the lobby. 

Poppy stood up from the chair, and looked at Rose. "You get to leave this room Rose, that's great!" Poppy grinned. Rose nodded, before standing up and walking to Branch. 

Branch looked down at her. "What?" He asked, before he saw Rose reaching towards him. He blinked, before picking her up. "You just want to be held?" He asked, as she nodded. Branch lifted her up and she resting her head on his shoulder.

Poppy smiled at them. "Come on, I have everything of hers here." She said, holding Roses bear and clothes. 

Branch nodded, before looking at Rose. "Last time I was there, there were quite a few trolls. You're not going to run, are you?" He asked the trolling who slowly shook her head. "Good. Then we can go see them." He said, before going to the door and let Poppy wall ahead of him a bit. 

Rose gripped onto Branch's vest tightly, seeing some trolls at the end of the hallway. Poppy saw her friends and grinned, walking quicker to them. "You all are here! Biggie, thanks for the cupcake!" She hugged him, causing the others to join in for the group hug. "Finally! A group hug I'm not missing!" She laughed, causing the others to laugh. When she pulled away from them, she turned to the other leaders. "Did King Quincy and Queen essence walk by?" She asked as Prince D nodded. 

"They went into the room behind you to talk to the doctor." He answered, before looking at Rose. "So this is Rose. Hey, I'm Prince D, I'mKing Quincy and Queen Essenes son." He took a step towards Branch and Rose, but stopped when he heard Rose whimper slightly.

"No one is going to hurt you kid. Wave hi." Branch said, trying to put her on the ground but she wouldn't let go of his vest. "I know you're scared, but look around. Do any of these trolls look scary?" He whispered to her. Rose slowly looked around, shaking her head. "Now, how about you wave hi?" He said. She slowly let go of his vest and waved to Prince D, who smiled back at her. "Good job. I know it's scary, and it's okay to be scared. It's also good to do your best to try to overcome what's scaring you." He whispered so only she could hear. "You think you can be brave and say hi to everyone?" He asked, seeing her nod again. 

Rose stood against Branch's legs, and waved at everyone. Everyone waved back, as the doctor returned along with King Quincy and Queen Essence. "You're ready to go Rose." Doctor Moon smiled at Rose. "Just be careful, okay?" She handed Rose a lollipop, who took it and stared at it. "Would you like help opening to?" Rose nodded, and held it above her head to Branch. Branch looked at the lollipop and took the wrapping off for her, placing it back in her hand as she immediately started licking it. 

"We didn't finish the meeting from earlier, are we going to finish it first?" King Trollex spoke, looking at the other leaders.

"We should figure out what we're going to do, if there are any protocols." King Quincy looked at his wife. "Do you want to go home and show Rose around, or I can go and you go to the meeting?" He asked her.

Before Essence could reply, Poppy spoke. "Actually, wouldn't it be better if she came along? If it's about her, she should be there." Poppy looked at them, as she got a confused look from them.

"She is a child Poppy, and after what happened I'm sure she would want to relax." King Quincy said, looking at Rose who was focused on her lollipop.

"She still deserves a say. She may be a child, but she deserves to know what's happening and to have a say in what she wants to happen." Poppy said, seeing Queen Essence nod.

"I agree with you Queen Poppy. She deserves to know and understand what we are doing and why." She walked over to Rose and Branch. "Branch, do you mind putting her on my back?" Branch nodded and did as told. He lifted Rose up, who looked at him confused before she looked at Essence. When Branch placed her on Essences back, Rose out her lollipop in her mouth and quickly grabbed Branch's fingers before he would move away. "Rose dear, you have to let go of Branch now." She told the trolling who frowned in return.

Branch looked at Rose, confused and tried to pull his fingers away gently. "You gotta let go kid." He said, but Rose whines loudly. Her whine surprised Branch, causing him to try to get out of her grasp again but with no avail. Rose shook her head rapidly as tears came to her eyes, her fingers tightly around Branch's hand. 

Essence looked from Rose to Branch. "You can take her off Branch." She whispered to Branch who nodded and did as told. Once Branch held Rose she relaxed in his arms, sniffling as she sucked in her lollipop. "Looks like you're joining us Branch." She smiled, before going to the door with her husband. Branch looked at her confused, before he looked at Rose who was gripping onto his vest tightly. 

Poppy walked over to Branch and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go." She smiled at him. He looked at her, still slightly confused but followed her anyways. 

All the leaders along with Rose and Branch made it to a Private balcony so they could finish their meeting. "We first need to discuss how we will tell anyone and what we will say. A lot of the trolls may not know what happened." King Trollex started.

"We should start with what the beast was, and how it made its way into the village and how we will prevent it from happening again." Trollzart spoke next.

"What about celebrating the life of the two we lost? We need to think of that as well." Delta said.

"We also have to talk about Rose to everyone as well. They need to understand why she lost her colours and how they can help her." Poppy spoke. 

Branch stood off to the side with Rose. He watched the leaders give ideas, and disagree on what should and shouldn't happen. He looked down at Rose who wasn't paying attention to them. "Hey Rose. He spoke quietly to her. "If you have to say something to all the trolls, what would you say?" He asked her. She looked up at him confused. "Some trolls out there may not understand what happened, or why you are a different colour. What would you want them to know? What would you say to them to help them understand?" He asked her. Rose looked at him, before she started writing in the notebook.

Branch looked back up at the others, listening to them again. "We agree we need to talk about all of these, but we need to make sure they know it's still safe here. We need to address that this won't happen again. We also have to tell everyone about what happened to the child."King Quincy spoke up.

"Why do we need to mention that to everyone? Wouldn't it be better to leave it as a small group? I heard a lot of trolls still worried about being attacked again, then address it when trolls ask." Trollzart asked. 

"There are already rumours out there about her. It will be better to get it out in the open now." Queen Essence replied.

"But how would they react? What if there are trolls who don't accept her?" Delta questioned.

Branch looked down at Rose who was now listening to the leaders. Her ears dropped when she heard Delta. "Hey. Who cares about a few trolls? You have all these trolls who want what's best for you." He thought for a moment. "Write down how you feel Rose. Trolls may not accept thing they can't understand. If you write down what you feel, they will understand better." He said, and Rose nodded.

~~~

An hour passed. An hour passed of the leaders trying to figure things out, but it only led to arguing. Branch's face hardened in frustration. None of them have asked or even looked at Rose to see what she thought about everything. Branch stood up and placed Rose on a chair in the corner of the pod. "Stay here, and cover your ears." He said, placing a pair of headphones over her ears. "I'll be right back." He smiled at her before he went to the leaders.

They were all so engrossed in their conversation they didn't see Branch join the table. Their voices were much louder than his. Branch tried to speak but was drowned out but the others. He growled slightly in distraction, his hands becoming fists. 

Suddenly there was a loud bang. The table shook violently.

"ENOUGH! Just shut up!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Please read!  
> This chapter is the reason this story is rated more for teens. There is talk about depression, paranoia, and a hint at suicidal thoughts.   
> I hope you enjoy reading it! I don't own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Everyone froze. Their eyes wide as they turn to Branch, who was glaring at them. As he spoke, the anger in his stomach bubbled. "You all have been disagreeing with each other for the last hour! I can't take it anymore! You're all acting like you know, and understand how she's feeling and what she wants. None of you have even asked her how she feels! None of you understand! Have any of you even had a grey troll in your colony before?!" He growled, his knuckles becoming paler in colour from how tight his fists were. When no one said anything, he realized they never had a grey troll like him before. "The entire hour you all argued, I've been asking Rose what she thought would help. I think she has a pretty good idea, but none of you would know because you haven't asked how she feels about all of this." He said, his anger slowly subsiding as he spoke. He could feel his chest getting heavy as they all stared at him.

Poppy stared at Branch in shock, before looking down sadly. She gently placed her hand on top of his but didn't speak. Branch looked around, seeing them all staring at him in shock, he looked down embarrassed at his outburst and let out a shaky sigh, looking down at the table before he stood up straight. "I'm sorry. I was out of line." He slid his hand out from under poppy's and turned to leave. "I'm just going to go." He said before he tried to make a quick exit.

"Stop right there young man!" Essence's motherly voice boomed, causing Branch to freeze in his tracks. She stood up, looking at him. "You can't yell at us and just walk away without explaining why you are so upset." Her voice softer this time.

Poppy stood up and looked at the others. "One moment everyone." She said before she walked over to Branch and stood behind him. "Do Feel better now, Branch?" She asked, seeing him nod slightly. "It's been a while since you snapped like that." She walked around him and stood in front of him. She saw the regret and sorrow on his face. "Oh Branch, Don't look so sad. You said stuff that needed to be said." She whispered softly as she placed a hand on his cheek.

He avoided looking at her. "I shouldn't have yelled." He muttered under his breath. 

"But you did. That got their attention." She moved her hand to his chin to try to get him to look at her. "I know it's hard Branch, but they don't know why you're affected by this so much. If they know, they will understand. I know it's hard for you to talk about, but it would help them to understand. It may even make you feel better to talk about it." She smiled at him softly. "If you don't want them to know, then you don't have to." Poppy wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Branch relaxed into her hug, his arms going around her to bring her closer. He buried his face in her shoulder, taking a deep breath. He was about to speak but jumped in surprise when he felt something on his leg. He pulled a bit away from Poppy and looked down to see Rose leaning against his leg, her headphones hanging around her neck. "You heard the whole thing, didn't you?" Branch saw Rose nod, looking up at him. "I guess I should explain. If I don't, someone else will tell them eventually." He sighed in defeat.

Poppy kissed his cheek. "Don't worry Branch, I'm right here if you need me." She pulled away and held his hand before going back to the table. "Branch is sorry for yelling, but he does have a good reason to be upset. Please, hear him out." She requested, seeing the others nod and Queen Essence sit back down.

Branch picked Rose up and slowly walked back to the table. He placed her towards the middle of the table, seeing her watching him. Branch glanced at Poppy who offered him a seat but he declined. He glanced at everyone and looked down, still embarrassed about his actions. Branch took a deep breath, not realizing he was shaking until he looked at his hands. He saw Poppy move her hand and placed it back on top of his, smiling at him.

"Twenty years, ten days, eighteen hours." He started, getting confused looks from everyone. "For twenty years, ten days, and eighteen hours I was grey." He declared, hearing a gasp from most of the leaders. "Back when the pop tribe was still being locked in Bergen town, I lived with my grandmother. It was a week before trollstice, and everyone in the tree was getting ready to finally escape. I was about 4 at the time, and was singing my heart out in the tree like all the other kids did. I was so lost in song, I didn't hear my grandmother yelling. When I finally heard her, she was running towards me. I turned around and saw a giant hand coming towards me, then I was pushed out of the way. My grandmother was captured and killed because of me. She was the last troll to be taken." He said, his chest heavy as he spoke. He felt as if he was going to throw up, his anxiety building as he spoke. 

He glanced up, seeing Rose staring at him intensely. He glanced around the table and saw all eyes on him. "Why were you grey for so long?" Trollex asked quietly.

"Everything after that wasn't in my favour, I guess. I don't remember everything. I remember Peppy told a family with one of my friends at the time to look after me until we get out of the root tunnels to safety. I could tell right away they didn't want the extra burden of taking care of me. While we were running I got left behind from that family, but thanks to Peppy I made it out with everyone. Once we found a place to live, there was so much to be done. Everyone had to find food and build their homes, no one had time for a grey troll. A lot of it is my fault, for pushing people away." He said, finally looking up. "I was placed in one home after another, all of them didn't want me. I didn't want someone who didn't want me. So eventually I ran and lived in a hole in the ground under the main tree. From what I figured no one would miss me, so I started making my bunker away from the village."

"But why twenty years? That's so long." Barb asked.

"I-I blamed myself for what happened to my grandmother, so I pushed everyone away. For years, I thought that if I ever got close to anyone, and cared for someone they would get hurt. Rumours were spread when I was a child that if you touch a grey troll, you turn grey as well. For years I believed that, because whenever someone saw me they would frown and walk away. It's not true, but it felt like it was. I started hating the idea of being touched because of it, I refused being hugged hoping the others would get the hint and leave me alone. I started being a jerk to everyone on purpose, hoping they would leave me alone. I ripped and stomped on the invitation I got, and yelled at everyone for singing too loud. Poppy was the one troll who never gave up on me. She came by every day, no matter what anyone said or what I did to her invitations." He looked at Poppy who smiled at him, gently rubbing his lower arm to help comfort him. He smiled sadly at her, his fingers intertwining with hers.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "Being grey for as long as I was, it felt like every day I was nothing. If I was in the middle of town, surrounded by trolls, I always felt alone. I would always watch parties from the treetops, and listen to so many songs. I always wanted to go down and join in, but my head always said I couldn't. Everything got under my skin so easily after a while. Over time I hated the happy songs and the glitter, everything just reminded me of what I thought I could never be. Every day, I would close my eyes and I could see the hand coming towards me. When I got older I stopped sleeping because the night terrors were too much, so I thought if I kept myself busy everything would stop. It worked for a little bit, but then the hallucinations came. I thought I could actually see Bergen's." He admitted, causing Poppy's eyes to widen.

"So when you came running to the village warning us..." she stopped, seeing Branch nodded slightly.

"I thought everyone was in danger. I scared everyone so badly that first time, that when they realized there was no danger I was yelled at. With every hallucination I had, the others started getting more and more annoyed with me." He paused for a moment. "I only really found out a year ago, but I suffered from psychological trauma." He stopped. He took a moment, feeling Poppy squeeze his hand. "From the trauma, I became severely depressed and became extremely paranoid. The paranoia was always eating away at my head, always thinking of what will go wrong. I was never able to relax, I always feared the worst. When I was around 17, the depression got worse. My mind was always telling me I should leave, the other trolls don't need me, I'm a burden, I'm the village grump. It kept telling me every night that I should have been the one that was taken, that I shouldn't be alive. At one point, I wished it was true." He whispered. His ears dropped more, hearing everyone in the room gasp. "I was never able to do it, no matter how much I thought I didn't deserve to be alive."

Branch stopped when he felt Poppy remove her hand from his and soon felt her arms wrap around him tightly, feeling her head against his chest. He looked down at her and held her close. He felt drops on his shirt, realizing she was crying. He held her closer, rubbing her back. "I don't think like that anymore. There's no way I'm leaving you." He whispered in her ear, keeping her close. He turned back to the others and continued while he held her. "Because I was grey for so long, it still affects me today. I'm still paranoid, my mind always thinks of what the worst thing that can happen. I still have days where I don't want to sing and party, I will just stay in my bunker and calm myself down. It even affected my appearance. My ears are deformed because they were always dropped down." He took a moment to look around at everyone. "But all of that is in the past. The other trolls now are more accepting than they were back then." He looked at Rose. "Rose, It will be hard at first, and there will be some trolls who don't understand. But it's okay to be sad. It may take a little while, but you will find something, or someone that makes you happy. After twenty years, I did." He looked down at Poppy, who refused to let him go. Poppy tightened her grip on him, causing him to smile and kiss her head.

He heard a sniffle and looked up to see Trollex wiping a tear away. "That was deep man. You went through so much." 

Branch looked at him, before he looked around. He saw Rose still trying to process what she heard, but what made Branch stop was Delta Dawn. She was smiling. "Thank you Branch, for telling us." She said when she saw him looking at her. "Thank you for opening up to us. It must have been very hard to talk about." She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know, everything you spoke of makes you who you are." Her words made Branch look at her confused. "When we first met, I knew you were different from the other pop trolls. You were always a little careful, and worried over everyone's safety. You always had a plan, Don't think I didn't see that hole in my jail after you escaped." She teased slightly, seeing him blush slightly. "Now that the trolls are all got together, you are the first troll to join my country songs and enjoy them. Then you would jump into a rock song like it was nothing! You are the only troll I know who adapted to every music, every song with ease." She said, seeing the other leaders nod. 

King Quincy spoke next "You're paranoia helps keep the others safe. You never ran and hid from the Bergen's, you ran back to warn the others so they would be safe. That shows you care more for your village than yourself. And from what Queen Poppy told me, your bunker was big enough to hide all of pop village when they did come attack. I have to question if you made it that big on purpose so they all had somewhere to stay safe." 

Branch stared at him, shocked slightly. "I never thought of it that way. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt." He whispered. 

"That's what makes you a good leader." King Quincy smiled at him. 

"You're a strong troll. You overcame so much. You learned from your past, and want to help the future." Queen Essenes smiled at him, before motioning to Rose who was writing quickly in her book. 

Rose looked up to see she was being looked at. Her eyes dropped from all the eyes on her, but she stood up and walked to Branch to give it to him. 

Branch kept one arm around Poppy and used the other to open the book. 'Will that happen to me? Will I be grey for twenty years?' He read the two questions out loud, seeing the page full of questions. "No, you won't be grey for twenty years. What I went through and what you are going through are similar, but also different. When I first turned grey, I felt like I had no one. You on the other hand, you aren't alone. You have all these trolls here, and more outside who want to help you." He placed the book down and gently placed his hand on her head. "I can't say it enough, you are not alone." He smiled at her. "Besides, you already have two trolls who want to look after you." He gently placed his hand on her back and turned her to King Quincy and Queen Essence.

"Actually," Queen Essence spoke. "We won't be looking after her after all." 

Branch's eyes widened, staring at her confused. Poppy moved her head, looking from Branch to Essence. "What? I thought..." Branch started.

"Don't get us wrong. We would love to take care of her, we were ready to in a heartbeat." She spoke again, smiling at Rose. "We talked about it while we were with Doctor moon, and she agreed with us. Rose would not have been comfortable with us." 

Branch looked at Rose, who was now holding his hand confused on what was happening. "I don't understand. Then who will look after Rose?" He asked. 

"You will, Branch."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!   
> I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter! I don't own trolls.

"You will, Branch" 

Branch stared at her, his mouth open. "I'm sorry? Who?" He asked again, not sure if he heard her right. 

"You will Branch." Queen Essence repeated as she stood up, walking over to him. "You are the one troll she is very comfortable with. You also are the only one who understands what she's going through. You yelled at us to make sure she is heard, so you care about her. We both knew the moment we saw you with her. When we went with Doctor Moon we signed papers so we could pay for all her bills, but we did not sign anything about fostering her. We knew you would be a better troll for that, and Doctor Moon agreed." Queen Essence smiled at him.

Branch shook his head. "N-no, I can't. I'm a terrible choice. Kids never like me. She needs a family, I can't do that. She will learn to be comfortable with other trolls." What Branch didn't see was Rose frowning when she heard him.

"Nonsense." King Quincy spoke. "You make her feel safe. You are the perfect troll to look after her."

"I'm not! I'm a terrible troll. I'm called the village grump for a reason." Branch said, before he felt Poppy's arm drop from around him, causing him to look at her.

Poppy looked at him, a small frown on her lips. "Stop putting yourself down, Branch! Even I knew you were the best option when I saw how you treated her. You sympathize with her, you understand what she needs the most. She needs you, And I think you need her too." She started to smile at him. "You're the perfect troll for this. You have grown so much, and everyone knows that. You have become the most caring troll I know." She took his hand in hers, grinning more when she saw his cheeks darken at her compliment.

"You've overcome something so many trolls will truly never understand. You are the strongest trolls out there." Delta spoke up, causing Branch to look at her again. "And Clampers loves to hang out with you, so you can't say kids don't like you." 

"They're right. Even I have to admit, you're one of the bravest trolls I've seen." Barb spoke up, shocking Branch. "I don't think any troll I know would jump to protect anyone like you did." She smirked. 

"And I'd do it again if I needed too." He said, puffing up proudly.

Poppy gently hit his chest in a teasing manner. "No you will not! You will not risk yourself for me again." She told him, frowning slightly. 

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving you." He smiled at her. "You know I can't live without you." He whispered softly to her, seeing her blush.

"If we're all complimenting Branch, you're the most hardworking troll. You're always ready to help, no matter what it is. You never give up, your determination and passion makes you perfect for this." King Trollex spoke, grinning at Branch.

"You really don't have to." Branch said, blushing slightly at everyone's comments about him. 

"We do have to Branch. You may not see it, but we all do. We see the potential you have. You would make a great parent, as well as an amazing leader." King Quincy smiled at him.

"Parent? Leader?" Branch muttered under his breath, looking down at the table. He was about to speak when Poppy interrupted, changing the subject.

"You should give it a chance, Branch. We all believe you will be a good guardian for her." Poppy smiled at him.

Branch was silent for a moment, before looking at Rose. "What do you say kid?" He asked her.

Rose looked at him, a frown on her lips as she started writing. She slowly slid him the notebook, not looking at him. 'You don't want me.'

Branch looked at the notebook and stopped when he read it. He looked at her and slowly knelt down so they were face to face. "Hey kid, that's not true." He whispered. "It's not that I don't want you, I just never looked after anyone before." He let out a small nervous chuckle. "I'm nervous about it." He quietly admitted to her, seeing her finally look at him. "I don't know what to do, I don't know how to prepare for it. But I'm willing to give it a try, if you will?" He asked her, smiling and offered her his hand.

Rose looked at his hand, then back at his face. She stood up slowly, and took a few steps towards him. Branch raised his hand towards her, smiling as he thought she was going to take his hand. Suddenly Rose jumped into Branch's hair. 

Branch froze in place, shocked at her actions. "Umm Branch? Are you okay?" Poppy said after a moment.

"I never had anyone in my hair." He said, still not moving.

Delta burst out laughing when she heard him. "Ya better get used to it bud. Trollings feel safe when they're in someone's hair, she will probably want to stay there while you're out in the village."

Clampers peeked out of Delta hair. "It's super soft and warm too!" She grinned before going back in.

Poppy grinned, taking his arm and helping him stand up. Branch was about to speak, but Poppy spoke first. "She isn't going to fall, don't worry." She told him, knowing what he was going to ask. "If you need any help, let me know. I'll do my best to help." She grinned at him, seeing him nod slowly, glancing at his hair.

"Now that that is settled, why don't we finish this meeting so we can address the other trolls with what's happening?" King Quincy smiled, as the others nodded. 

Branch took a step back, about to go back to where he was before but was stopped by Poppy. "You're staying right here." She smiled at him, keeping a hold of his hand. "You and Rose can help us. You said Rose had an idea right?" She smiled, and glanced up at his hair to see Rose peeking through his hair. Poppy moved aside and pointed to her chair. "Take a seat Branch." She told him. Branch was about to protest but he saw the look on her face and he knew she wouldn't take no for an answer. He sighed in defeat and sat down. Poppy grinned in victory when he sat down, moving in front of him and sat on his lap happily.

"Really Poppy?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, hearing her giggle. He subconsciously wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes really! You're very comfy." She cuddled into him, kissing his cheek quickly before she turned her attention to his hair. "Rose, do you mind coming out so we can ask you some questions?" She asked, seeing Rose looking at her. Branch sat still, feeling Rose part his hair slightly. Poppy reached up and took her out of his his and placed her on the table.

"Rose, we are sorry we never asked you how you felt about all of this." Queen Essence looked at Rose. "Branch said you had an idea that may help us, we would love to hear it." 

Rose glanced at Branch, who nodded his head. Rose took out her notebook and handed it to him. Branch opened it and Rose showed him a couple of pages. "The main thing she is worried about is the other trollings. She doesn't want them to stop playing with her. She is nervous that if she goes to a park or somewhere to play, that the other kids will pick on her or ignore her because of what happened." Branch explained, seeing Rose nod. 

"How do we help with that?" Trollzart asked.

Rose turned her to a different page in the book, pointing to a page. "She wants them to not be scared of her and not run away." He read the couple of words on the page to form the sentences. "She wants them to understand this isn't her fault, and if they have any questions to ask her instead of leaving her out of the games or bullying her." As he read he started getting slightly anxious.

"The kids wouldn't do that, would they?" Barb asked.

"They did with me, but back then the others didn't understand what happened and instead of talking to me they avoided me." Branch said, seeing Rose frown at his words. "But things are different now. All the kids get along with each other, so if someone talks to the children and explains what happened and why she looks different, they may understand and want to ask questions." Branch said. 

"Well, why don't we ask Clampers since she's here?" Delta took her niece out from her hair and placed her on the table. "You somewhat know what happens and what's going on, do you have any questions?" She asked. 

Clampers looked at her aunt then at Rose and waved slightly. Branch looked at the two children, seeing how small Rose was so Clampers surprised him a bit. He knew she was small, but Rose was a little more than half the size of her. "Why would trolls not accept her? And why doesn't she talk?" 

Rose took a moment to write some stuff down. Branch read what she wrote and took a moment to figure out the words. "She doesn't feel comfortable speaking, but she can write down what she wants to say. So you can still talk to her normally, it just takes a moment for her to write it down." He explained. "Some trolls don't understand what happened, and don't understand how she feels. It's different so it scares them, that leads to them not accepting her." He said, seeing Rose look down sadly. "Clampers, if another kid told you that you shouldn't play with a grey troll but you saw Rose playing by herself, would you go invite her to play? Even if it meant the other trolls won't play with you either?" Branch asked her. 

Clampers looked at him for a minute. "What would we play?" She asked. 

"Um, I don't know. Whatever you two choose." He shrugged. "The point is, would you go play with her, even if it meant others wouldn't play with you?" 

Clampers looked at Rose. "It depends on what we play. I'm really good at tag!" She grinned.

Branch chuckled. "Yeah, I know that first hand. Thank you for your answer Clampers." He said, before looking at the others. "My main concern is if one kid starts spreading rumors that aren't true, others will believe it and not want to play with her. If someone addresses the children first and helps them understand, then it will probably help a lot of trolls as well as Rose." Branch said, seeing Rose perk up slightly, nodding as she crawled closer to him. She reached her hand towards his, seeing him move his hand towards her she grabbed it and placed it on her head in content.

"Thank you Branch, and thank you Rose." Delta smiles at them as Clampers went back into her hair. "That is a good start. Getting the kids involved and making sure they understand helps Rose, but also helps troll if this happens to anyone else." She said, looking at the others. "The next story time that the children have should be dedicated to helping the children understand, and if they have any questions they will be able to get answers. If you're okay with that Queen Poppy." 

Poppy nodded. "Yes, that sounds perfect! They will have a safe space to ask any question they want." She smiled, and gently squeezed Branch's hand as she felt him relax.

Trollzart started writing the plan down. "Beautiful! What next? Figuring out what to tell everyone?" He asked, as all eyes went to Branch.

Branch felt all eyes on him, and glanced down at Roses notebook. "Is there anything you think that will help?" He asked her quietly, seeing her skim the book as well, but not think of much. "For telling the other trolls, I don't think there is much that can be planned. I honestly don't know how the trolls will react. A lot has changed, they're accepting the differences in each other. I think there will be a few that won't understand what Rose is feeling, or why she doesn't talk." He said, seeing King Quincy speak.

"We will have to see how that plays out then." He looked at Branch. "Would you feel comfortable coming up with us and answering questions any trolls have?" He asked. 

Branch thought for a moment, and looked at Rose who stared at the notebook. "I'd rather not, not today." He looked at Quincy. "I can do it another day, if that's okay? I think it's best to get Rose settled before anything else." He spoke, seeing Rose look up at him when she heard her name. "But if it does help, maybe you could ask them to write down any questions they have and I can look through them in the mean times?" 

Quincy nodded. "Yes, that is a good idea." He smiled, before looking at the others. "I believe we have anything set then." He looked around seeing everyone agree. All the leaders stood up and started going to the door. Poppy moved aside so Branch could stand up as Queen Essence walked over to him.

"We will get everything ready. If you need anything or need any help Branch, just let us know." Queen Essence smiled at him.

"Actually, what do I need?" He asked her, seeing her raise an eyebrow. "What do I need for Rose? I don't have anything for kids." He asked timidly. 

She smiled at him. "Well, she will need clothes, since all she has right now are robes from the emergency pod. I know you have food, but maybe ask her what she likes to eat and get creative with that. Kids are hard, but will be worth it." She looked at Rose, who was slowly standing up, trying to get a handle on standing up with one hand. "Just stay relaxed, you will do well. You do also have to sign some papers and have her care sheet for her cast. I told Doctor Moon to come here after we're done so you can sign them." She smiled at him.

He smiled slightly. "Thank you Queen Essence." He bowed slightly. 

"Oh you don't need to be so formal Branch." She smiled, before started following the other leaders.

Poppy looked at Branch. "Are you going to wait here until it's over, or are you going back home?" She asked him. 

"Well, I apparently have to go sign stuff. I may see if Biggie will show me where that pod with Roses stuff is so I can get her some clothes." He looked at Rose. Rose saw him look at her and she reached for him with her arm. He gently picked her up and she rested her head on his shoulder, gripping his vest. 

"You should see Satin and Chenille for clothes for her! They love making clothes for Tiny Diamond but he never wears them, they will love to make her clothes!" She grinned.

He thought for a moment. "I guess I could see if they aren't busy." He said, before he heard his name and turned around to see Doctor Moon at the end of the balcony. "I guess I have to sign the foster papers." He said, almost surprising himself with his words. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." He muttered to himself but Poppy heard.

She smiled at him and placed a hand on his free shoulder. "You are perfect for this Branch, you are the one troll I trust the most to look after her." She grinned when she saw him smile at her words. "I will be with you every step of the way to, if you want." She blushed slightly as she looked at him, smiling shyly.

Branch looked at her, before he kissed her softly. He smiled against her lips before pulling back slightly. "Thank you Poppy. I will definitely take you up on that offer." He smirked at her, causing her to blush more. He chuckled as he blushed as well. He kissed her cheek. "I love you Poppy." 

Poppy couldn't help but grin more, blushing as she spoke. "I love you more." She kissed his nose. 

He smirked at her. "That isn't possible." He said before he heard Barb making puking sounds. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You two are too sweet I'm going to get a cavity. I don't know how that kid will handle you two." She said, before lookin an arm around Poppy's. "Come on Popsqueak, you're late! See ya later boy toy." She raised her hand to wave as she dragged Poppy off the balcony.

Poppy protested, frowning before she let she rock troll drag her. "Bye Branch! And it is possible!" She called out to him.

"No it's not!" He called back, chuckled as she heard her 'yes it is' in the distance. "What did I do to deserve her." He said to himself, before he turned around and jumped slightly when he saw Doctor Moon. "Oh, um, I'm sorry. I forgot you were there." His face darkened.

Doctor Moon smiled. "You both will be great parents." She said, giggling when she saw Branch's face darken even more. "I'm glad it's you who is signing these papers. So, let's get started." She sat down.

Branch looked at Rose, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Branch smiled softly as Her, before he looked at Doctor Moon and nodded. "Yes. Let's sign those papers." He spoke with confidence in his voice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> I hope you all like this chapter!  
> I don't own trolls, but Rose is me OC.

Branch could hear the leaders giving their speech from the balcony he was on, hearing the gasp of the trolls when it was confirmed that a trolling was grey. He looked at the paper in front of him as he signed one last page. Doctor Moon smiled as she collected the papers. "Perfect. Congratulations Branch, you are officially the foster parent of Rose. If you need anything or have any questions just let me know. Don't hesitate to call." She stood up and handed him a couple lollipops. "For Rose when she wakes up."

Branch stood up as well and took the lollipops and put them in his hair, Rose still in his one arm asleep. "Thank you Doctor moon. Hopefully everything goes okay and I'll see you in two weeks for her cast to hopefully come off." He shook her hand before Doctor moon walked away. Branch stayed on the balcony for a little longer, listening to the others talk before he made his way to the market in town. The market was empty as he thought, it gave him time to look around at what he may need for Rose. He walked around for about a half hour before he noticed a couple of trolls walking around. Branch stayed in the shadows, and glanced at Rose. He wasn't sure how she felt about other trolls seeing her just yet. He gently lifted her into his hair, careful not to wake her. Once she was in his hair he stood still for a few minutes to make sure she was still asleep before he slowly walked around to find Biggie or anyone else.

He soon heard Guy Diamond's voice and looked around to see him along with Biggie and Mr Dinkles, Smidge, Satin, Chenille, DJ Suki, and legsly walking away from him. "Hey, guys!" He called out to them, seeing them stop and turned around.

"Branch! There you are! We were starting to get worried when we didn't see you at the gathering." Biggie smiled when they walked over to him.

"Were you looking after Rose?" Smidge asked. "While the leaders were speaking? Is that why we couldn't find you?"

"You could say that Smidge." Branch looked around seeing no troll looking at them. He slowly parted his hair enough so they could see Rose. "I'm going to be the one looking after her from now on." He heard them all gasp. Branch could feel her shaking slightly in her sleep, closing his hair in case she was cold.

"That's awesome, you will do great!" Guy Diamond grinned.

Tiny Diamond popped out of his hair. "I get to be a big brother! Yeah! I will show her everything about glitter!" He said excitedly.

"That's so sweet!" The twinned cooed.

"That's great!" Smidge cheered before Branch hushed them, causing them to be quiet.

"I do need some help though." He said, seeing the others nod in agreement that they're I'll help. "What pod did you put all of the stuff in? Did you see any clothes for Rose in there by chance?" He asked Biggie.

Biggie thought for a moment before he answered. "I don't remember seeing much clothes unfortunately, sorry Branch."

"That's alright. Can you think of anything that was there that she may need?" He asked as Biggie shook his head. 

"There were mainly pictures, a couple toys, video tapes." Biggie listed. 

"If it's not too much trouble, could you show me where the pod is later?" He asked, seeing Biggie nod before he turned to the twins. "Satin, Chenille, Poppy told me you two make nice kid clothes. Do you happen to have any?" He asked.

The twin nodded. "Of course we do!" They both said. 

Satin spoke first. "We would love to make clothes for Rose!"

"We have so many ideas!" Chenille finished.

Branch smiled. "Thanks, I don't know what kind of clothes she likes though. Something simple may be good, and she's going to need something to sleep in as well. I am going to go check if there is anything for her first, then I'll stop by. If that's okay with you two?" He asked.

They both nodded. "Of course!" Chenille said.

"We are going to start making some clothes for her right now!" Satin grinned as the twins looked at each other before running off to their pod to get everything set.

Branch turned to Biggie. "Can you show me where it is now?" He asked. 

"Of course! It's this way." Biggie said and started leading him towards the pod as the others followed.

After a few minutes they made it to the pod. "Here we are! There wasn't as much stuff as we would have liked." Biggie said, opening the door. 

Branch walked in slowly, looking around seeing a handful of boxes. He glanced up at his hair for a moment before he knelt down and opened a box. Inside were family photos and video tapes. He looked at one of the photos inside for a moment before moving to another box. He glanced around to see the others looking in boxes as well. As he looked around he felt Rose shiver in his hair again, he gently reached up and placed his hand on hers. After a moment he let go and continued to look in boxes.

"I'm not seeing much in these boxes." Legsly said, going over to Branch as the others followed.

"Well, maybe I should take these to my bunker for her. I'm sure she will want these." He said, standing up and picking up a box. He looked at the others as they all picked up a box as well. "Thank you guys." He smiled at him.

They all grinned back at him. "Are you going to your home first or to see what the twins have?" Smidge asked, carrying three heavy boxes with ease.

"I was going to see what they have first, I hope she wakes up by then." He said, feeling her shake as she continued to sleep. They all nodded and headed towards the twins pod. 

Tiny knocked on the pods door since the others had their hands full. It flew open revealing the twins grinning faces. "Finally! We have so many ideas for her!" They each grabbed one of Branch's arms and dragged him in quickly.

"Woah! Calm down you two, let me see if she's awake first." He chuckled slightly at their excitement as they came to a stop. They let him go and waited eagerly for him to get Rose. He put the box down and slowly took Rose out of his hair. When he got her out he noticed the unease on her face. "Hey, Rose. Time to wake up." He held her in his arms but wasn't sure how to wake her up. "Come on kid, you need to try on clothes." He gently poked her leg, which kicked when he touched it. He repeated his action getting a grumble from the child. Rose suddenly bolted awake, her eyes wide as she looked around cautiously. "Hey, it's okay." He kept a hold of her as she panicked. "Look at me Rose. It's okay." He tightened his grip on her so it was a tight hug, calming her down as she looked at him. She buried her face in his shoulder, shaking slightly,

"It's okay Rose, we want to help you find your fashion style." Satin spoke, causing Rose to glance at her.

"Yeah, we want to make clothes for you! You can be our little model!" Chenille grinned.

Rose looked at Branch. "I don't have any clothes for you, so I thought it would be good for you to choose what you like. Are you okay with that?" He asked her.

Rose gripped his vest, still nervous about the new trolls. Chenille took a step towards Rose, bending slightly to get to Roses level. "You don't have to be scared. If it makes you feel better, why don't we demonstrate on Branch first?" 

"Then you will know what to expect. How does that sound?" Satin finished, copying her sister's movements.

"Wait, what?" Branch looked at them confused, before he looked at Rose. "Would that help?" He saw Rose think for a moment before nodding. He sighed in defeat. "Alright, i'll go first." He said causing the twins to jump in delight.

"Great! We have a few ideas we will show you first!" Satin took a few steps back to a curtain behind her as Chenille followed.

"We can take measurements once we know what you like." They both grabbed the curtain and pulled it back, revealing a couple dozen options of styles for Rose. "First we have a cute sporty outfit." Chenille pointed to a baseball outfit in pink and purple.

"Then an elegant dress." Satin showed a flowery long dress.

"Maybe a little hip hop style like we made for Tiny!" Chenille showed a cute baseball hat and jersey.

Rose looked at them all, getting overwhelmed with all the options she had but wasn't sure about. "Um, do you have anything not flashy? Something more simple?" Branch asked, seeing Rose was unsure about the choices. 

The twins looked at each other, before they went to a sketch book. After a few moments they showed a few ideas of simple outfits. "How about something like these?" Chenille flipped a page revealing a simple two tone dress. 

Satin showed her a variety of colours on cards. "We can make them your favorite colours too!"

Rose looked at the dress and pointed to it, before looking at the colours and pointed to a light purple. "A dress in purple? Alright, that works." Branch smiled. "What do you like to sleep in? A dress as well?" He asked her as she nodded her head. "Okay, a night gown. What colour?" He saw her point to baby pink colour. He nodded before looking at the twins who nodded as well.

"Perfect! Now we just need to know your measurements. We will measure Branch first." They both grabbed multiple items they needed before leading Branch to the center of the room so they could easily move around.

Branch placed Rose on a chair so she could watch before following them. "Stand up straight." Satin told him.

"Arms straight out." Chenille lifted his arms to where they needed to be. Soon they started writing down numbers as they measured him. 

While the twins continued to explain to Rose what they were doing Poppy walked into the pod. "I thought you were here for Rose, not yourself Branch." She teased, causing Branch to blush.

"Rose wanted me to go first." He mumbled, his arms lowering before the twins quickly spoke. 

"Don't move. Arms up." They spoke in unison, making Branch snap back into position.

Poppy laughed, before she went to Rose. "Do you know what clothes you want?" She knelt down to her, smiling. Rose nodded sheepishly, pointing to a book behind her which was open to the dress she pointed out. "Oh that's so cute!" She smiled, before looking over at Branch who looked like he didn't want to be there much longer.

"You know what? Now that we have Branch's measurement." Chenille started, looking at Satin.

Satin grinned. "We can finally create them."

"Create what?" Poppy asked.

"Matching outfits!" They both cheered, causing Branch to jump at their sudden excitement.

"Wait what?!" He looked at them shocked.

Poppy gasped and grinned. "Oh my troll, YES! Totally!" She joined in on the excitement.

"How about no? I'm fine with what I normally wear." Branch frowned. "Can I move now?" He asked.

The twins nodded, but before Branch had time to lower his arms he went someone rushed onto him. He looked down to see that Poppy had taken the chance to hug him. She looked at him with a smile from ear to ear. He smiled back at her, lowering his arms and wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly they both opened their mouths and spoke at the same time.

"It's not possible." 

"It is possible." 

They both stared at each other surprised before they burst out laughing. Branch stopped laughing first and kissed her cheek before he let her go. He walked over to Rose who looked extremely tired. "You ready kid?" He saw her nod and lifted her off the chair and onto the ground. "How about I put your bear on the chair? That way she is watching you." Branch saw her nod and he placed the stuffed bear on the chair. "It will only be a few minutes. Be careful with your arms, okay?" He stood up and looked at the twins. "On her arm without the cast she has a sore spot, so careful not to touch her arm much." He told them, seeing them nod.

The twins slowly started measuring Rose, softly talking her through what they were doing. "How did everything go?" Branch glanced at Poppy before looking back at Rose. 

"It was okay. There were a lot of trolls with a lot of questions, but we told them to write them down and put them in a box so we can read over them and see what they are." She looked at Branch, smiling at him. "And I talked to the kids as well. They didn't have many questions, they mostly wanted to see Rose." She looked back at Rose. 

"Well, maybe if Rose is up for it next week she will go to the reading session?" Branch looked at her.

Poppy smiled softly at him. "If she is up for it. We will take it one step at a time." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried, Branch, and all this was put on you so suddenly. You are already so good with her, you will do amazing taking care of her." Poppy kissed his cheek, smiling at him.

Branch smiled at her. "I'll do my best." He said softly. 

"I know you will." She wrapped her arms around his side, leaning against him gently. 

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. He looked back at Rose. 

"There! We're done." The twins said. The moment they finished talking Rose ran to Branch's leg and hugged it.

Branch looked down at Rose, slightly surprised at the force he felt when she ran into him. "You're a speedy little thing, aren't you?" He knelt down. "You did amazing Rose. Thank you for doing that." He gently patted her back before pulling out a lollipop Doctor Moon gave him. "Here, you deserve this." He smiled, unwrapping it for her before handing it to her.

Rose took the lollipop and put it in her mouth. Branch turned to the twins. "Should we come back in a couple of days for her clothes?" Branch asked.

The twins stared at Branch. "You underestimate us Branch." They both spoke, surprising him. "It will take less than twenty minutes."

"That fast? Wow." He looked at them, before looking at Rose. "Well, that gives us some time to see if there's anything you need. Do you have any good you like, or don't like? Any allergies?" He asked.

She shook her head, before she wrote in her book. 'No green stuff.' She wrote. 

"No green stuff, got it. Anything else?" He asked.

'Cupcakes.' She wrote, looking at him.

"I figured from the two you had today you liked them." He chuckled. "What about toys or something? Do you need anything? I have a bed and stuff in my bunker." He saw her shake her head. "Alright. We can always get more stuff tomorrow or when you need it." He said. 

Suddenly Branch saw Tiny standing next to Rose. "Do you have any more lollipops?" He asked, looking at Branch with sparkling eyes. Branch nodded and took one out for Tiny who grinned. "Yeah, yeah! Thanks Uncle Branch!" Tiny hopped over to Guy. "Look daddy! I got a lollipop!" He ripped the wrapping off and put it in his mouth, sitting down next to Rose. 

Rose looked at him, before she went back to her lollipop, tears coming to her eyes. Branch saw her and placed a hand on her back gently. She glanced up at him. "Just a little longer kid, then we will head to my bunker." He whispered to her, seeing her nod and go back to her lollipop. 

It wasn't long until the twins finished. "Done!" Satin held up one of the outfits for Rose.

"Try them on!" Chenille grinned holding the other. Rose looked at the clothes and nodded, even though she wasn't smiling she did seem to perk up a bit. Branch helped her down and Rose quickly went to the twins, holding her hand toward the purple dress. Satin gave her the dress and pointed behind them. "Right there is the dressing room. Can you get dressed by yourself?" She asked, seeing Rose hesitate as she looked at her cast. 

"I'll help you Rose." Poppy smiled, stepping towards them.

"Great! We actually have an outfit for you too Poppy!" Chenille ran back and grabbed an outfit for Poppy.

"You two can both try these one." Satin said, leading them to the changing rooms. 

After a few minutes they came out, Poppy was wearing a black skirt and navy blouse as Rose wore her purple dress. "Rose you look so cute!" Poppy grinned looking down at her. 

The other complimented Rose on her dress, causing her to blush slightly. She quickly ran and hid behind Branch's legs to try to get away from the stares.

The twins circled Poppy trying to think of what else they needed for her outfit. "Something is off." They both spoke as they tried to figure out what to add. 

While the others were focusing on Poppy, Branch knelt down and looked at Rose. "It looks very pretty on you Rose, very good choice you picked out." He smiled, causing her to fiddle with her fingers as she stood there embarrassed. "Do you want to put on the pajamas or do you want to go now?" He asked. She thought for a moment before she pointed to the changing room. "Alright, go change then we will go." He stood up and looked at the others who were still looking at Poppy. 

Rose started to go to the changing room, but stopped and looked at Poppy. Poppy was looking at some accessories before she felt a small tug on her pants. She looked down to see Rose nervously looking down. "What is it Rose?" She knelt down to look at her. Rose pointed to the changing room, looking at her. "Oh, of course I will help you." She smiled and took Rose's hand and led her to get changed.

After a few minutes they both came out again, Rose in her pajamas and Poppy in her regular outfit. "You look like you're very comfy in that." Poppy smiled down at her as Rose nodded in reply. Rose walked over to Branch and reached for him.

Branch picked her up, seeing her reach towards his head. "Do you want to ride in my hair?" He asked, seeing her nod. He lifted her up and she crawled into his hair. Once he felt she was safe from falling he looked at the twins. "Thank you both so much, I really appreciate it." He smiled.

"It was our pleasure!" Chenille grinned back.

"We loved making her clothes!" Satin agreed.

"We will make her a lot more clothes! So many cute ideas for her, and we will keep them simple." They spoke together.

"Thank you." He said again, before looking at the others who already were carrying their boxes. "And thank you all as well." He said, picking up his box as well.

"You don't have to thank us Branch." Biggie smiled.

"We want to help." DJ Suki grinned.

Branch smiled more. "Well, we better get going." He said as he led the way to the side entrance of his bunker.

When they arrived Rose peeked out of Branch's hair so she could look around. "Well, this is where I live." He told Rose, putting the box down and placing her on the ground. Rose looked around but stayed close to him. Branch looked at the others, seeing the bracelets around their wrists light up and they all wrapped each other in a group hug. "Thanks again guys." He said after a minute. "We are going to stay in for the rest of the night, so she can get used to it here." He looked at Rose who was cautiously looking at a jar full of purple liquid. 

"We understand. We will see you later." Guy spoke, smiling as the mothers nodded and started heading to the exit. "Just wait Branch, you will learn to like having a kid around." Guy finished before following the others.

Poppy was the only one who didn't follow. "Do you want me to stay here with you for the night?" She asked him, seeing him watching Rose.

Branch turned to her, letting out a small sigh. "I think I'll be okay. I think it's just going to be a long night." He reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand gently. "It is dinner time, do you want to stay for dinner?" He smiled at her.

She smiled back and nodded. "I'd love to." She kissed his cheek before she went over to Rose. "Hey Rosie, do you want to play a game? Or maybe scrapbook?" Poppy grinned as she pulled out some paper and scissors from her hair. 

Rose looked at her, before shaking her head slightly. "Alright, we don't have to." Poppy put her supplies back in her hair. "Is there something you want to do? Maybe explore? Draw? Make fun of Branch's inventory?" She grinned. 

"My inventory is nothing to make fun of! It's good to be prepared." He huffed, frowning at Poppy as she giggled. "Anyways, do you like soup Rose?" Rose looked at him and nodded. "Alright, I'll make us soup. I do have one rule though, no one plays in the kitchen while I cook. There had been an incident in the past, I don't want anyone getting hurt. Do you understand?" He asked Rose, seeing her not then looked at Poppy. "That means you too Pops."

"It was one time! And I barely got burned!" She pouted, crossing her arms as she stuck her tongue out at him playfully. 

Branch smirked, before he kissed her cheek. "One time too many, I don't want to take any chances." He walked to the kitchen and started making them dinner.

As Branch cooked Rose continued to explore, looking around the main area as Poppy sat on the couch watching her. Rose soon got curious about the boxes. She decided to take a look, so she went on her top toes to peek inside. When she looked inside she stopped, she leaned over and toppled the box over. Poppy quickly went to her side. "Rose, are you okay?" She asked as Branch ran around the corner. 

"What was.." he stopped when he saw the box Rose was in. Rose slowly picked up a photo of her and her parents. Rose couldn't take her eyes off the photo, but her eyes started to blur over with tears. She held the photo to her chest and started crying. Branch slowly walked up to them and gently picked Rose up. He didn't say anything, just holding and rocking her as she started crying. Branch started walking over to the kitchen, motioning Poppy to follow. He could tell Poppy was still nervous from earlier, so he gently placed Rose in her arms. "Just hold her tight, maybe hum slightly. It will help her feel better, but let her cry." Branch whispered to Poppy, who looked at him still concerned. "I'm going to be right here making the soup. She is grieving, she needs this." He kissed Poppy's forehead before he went to finish preparing the soup.

Poppy stared down at the crying child in her arms. She did as Branch instructed and held her tightly in her arms. She rocked her and gently hummed a lullaby to her.

Rose cried for a half hour, holding onto the photo tightly. She kept her eyes closed as she sobbed every few minutes, trying to hold in her cry's. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Poppy. "Hey sweetheart, feeling better?" She smiled down at her. Rose looked down, holding the photo tighter to her chest.

"The soup is ready." Branch set two bowls down for them and went back to get his own. Poppy gently placed Rose on a chair that Branch raised for her and went to her own seat. Branch came back a couple minutes later with his own bowl. "Give it a try, I hope you two like it." He said, taking a spoonful of his bowl as Poppy did as well.

Poppy smiled. "This tastes amazing Branch." She praises happily, taking another spoonful which caused him to smile. 

Branch looked at Rose who didn't move from when Poppy put her there. "Have you tried it yet Rose? Do you need help with it? It's not super hot, just warm." Branch told her, but she didn't move. Branch ate more of his soup, but stopped after a couple minutes went by and Rose didn't touch her food. 

Branch stood up and walked over to where Rose was and knelt down. "Rose. I need you to look at me." He said, the tone of his voice more serious than before. Rose slowly turned her head, glancing at him. He spoke softly to her this time. "I know you're sad, hurt, and confused. I understand you may want to be left alone, but you need to eat something. You barely ate today. You had some fruit, cupcakes and a couple lollipops. Will you please have some of the soup?" He asked her, seeing her glance at the soup. He held up a hand towards her. "Four spoonfuls. That's all I'm asking, four spoonfuls then you can go. Okay? If you want more you can, but after four you can stop."

Rose stared at him, before she slowly reached for the spoon and picked it up. She stirred the soup a bit, hesitating before she took a spoonful and put it in her mouth. She slowly ate it, but went back for another bite. Branch stood up after her second bite and went back to his own bowl. Poppy watched as Rose went for another spoonful. "Wow, you got her to eat so easily." Poppy whispered to him, her bowl already empty.

Branch shrugged. "Do you want more?" He asked, seeing her nod. He took her bowl and filled it up and placed it in front of her. He looked at Rose who had taken her fourth bite but continued eating. "I'm glad she's eating this, she needs it." He let out a small sigh of relief. 

Rose ate half the bowl, before she put her spoon down and held her hand up. Branch nodded. "Yes. Thank you for eating it Rose." He smiled at her and walked over to help her down. "Do you want me to put you on the couch or do you want to walk around some more?" He asked as she pointed to the couch. Once he placed her down he looked around. "Do you want anything to drink?" He saw her shake her head. "Alright. I'm going to put the soup away, you stay on the couch alright?" He saw her shake her head and he went into the kitchen to clean up.

Poppy helped Branch clean up, washing the dishes. "You handled that very well Branch, I didn't think she was going to eat at first." She said as she took the last dish to wash.

He shrugged. "I just wanted her to eat a bit, but she ate more than I thought she would. I'm glad she did." He smiled at Poppy who smiled back.

She drained the sink, drying her hands. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" She asked.

Branch out his cloth down and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sure. I think it may be easier for her if it's just one troll for tonight." He kissed her cheek. "It's been a long day for all of us, and I'm sure you will have another busy day tomorrow too. If tonight goes how I think it will, we won't get much sleep, it may be best if you get a good night's rest." He kissed her other cheek, seeing her giggle.

"I guess you're right." Poppy wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him close so their noses touched. "I guess I will see you tomorrow then." She pulled him closer and kissed him lovingly. She kept him close, feeling his hands tighten around her waist.

Branch held her tightly, savouring the moment for as long as he could. He pressed his lips harder against hers, before pulling back slightly for air. He smiled as he stared into her eyes lovingly. "I love you Poppy." He smiled. 

She grinned and pecked his lips. "I love you more." She quickly escapes out of his grasp as he chuckled. 

"Don't you start that again." He playfully warned.

She stuck her tongue out at him as she went to the couch. "Hey Rose, I'm going to head home for the night." She knelt down to her height. "I'll be back first thing in the morning! Can I get a hug before I go?" Poppy held her arms out, but Rose only glanced at her. Poppy slowly lowered her arms, but kept smiling. "That's okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up and walked over to Branch. 

Branch saw the look on her face, knowing she was trying to smile though she was sad. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "Don't take it personally Poppy, maybe tomorrow she will feel better." He whispered, kissing her forehead. He felt Poppy nod her head, holding him close for a minute. Once they pulled apart, Branch walked her to the exit. He placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her once more. "I will see you tomorrow. I love you, with all my heart Poppy." He smiled at her.

She leaned her head into his hand, smiling back at him. "And I love you Branch, with all my heart." She said before she started to head home.

Once Poppy was gone Branch made his way back to the couch and sat on the other side of it. He looked at Rose who was still holding the photo, tears coming back to her eyes. 'This is going to be a long night.' He thought to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!   
> There's a bit of backstory on this one! I hope you like my version! There's also more broppy in this chapter!  
> Let's play a game. There is a hint in the chapter, and if you see it private message me to make sure it's the right one! Or if you think you have it, comment 'I found it!' And I will message you! I want to see how many of you see it! I won't be giving any hints ;)  
> I don't own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Poppy woke up early that morning, checking her schedule to see it was Trollzart's turn to lead the morning song. She smiled and started getting ready for the day, singing to herself as she got ready as she took a quick shower and changed into her dress. She walked out of her pod, seeing only a couple of trolls out for an early morning walk. She waved to others as she walked by, heading towards Branch's home like she does every morning. When Poppy arrived at the door and knocked on it, waiting for him to open it. After a minute of no answer she opened the door. "Branch?" She walked in. Normally Branch was up by now. She took a small look around, before she heard a soft snore coming from the couch. She quietly made her way to the front of the couch to see Branch and Rose asleep on different sides of the it. She looked between them, seeing the bags under their eyes indicating they both didn't sleep very well. She gently placed a hand on Branch's shoulder. "Branch?" She said again.

Branch shot up, his eyes wide. "What?!" He stopped when he saw Poppy. "Poppy? What time is it?" He rubbed his eyes, yawning.

"I'm a little early, it's almost eight but I wanted to see how the night went." She asked, seeing the bags under his eyes. "You look terrible." 

He frowned slightly. "Thanks." He said sarcastically before yawning again. "She didn't sleep much last night. She cried herself to sleep after you left, but woke up not long after from a bad dream. I was up late worried, but then I did fall asleep. I woke up not much later to her screaming from nightmares." He looked at Rose, who was whimpering in her sleep. "I didn't want to leave her alone in the room so I thought the couch would be better tonight." He stood up and groaned slightly, rubbing his neck.

Poppy frowned. "You really did have a bad night, and the position you slept in isn't good for you either." She said, before she saw a tub of chocolate ice cream on the table in front of the couch. "Ice cream? Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

"What? I heard the twins once say they eat ice cream when they are sad and it makes them feel better, so I thought maybe it would help. She did enjoy it. I tried talking to her for a bit, but I think the ice cream helped more than I did." He made his way to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.

"Hopefully she feels better today." She follows Branch.

"It will take a while, a couple weeks at least. It's a big change." He wrapped his arms around her, before smiling lazily. "I forgot to say good morning." He kissed her softly. His back leaning against the counter as he pulled her close against him.

Poppy smiled against his lips and kissed him back, her arms going around his chest. She pulled back a minute later and rested her forehead against his. "Good morning." She smiled as she felt him relax into her hug. "What do you want for breakfast? I'll cook today!" She grinned.

"You cook breakfast? I always cook breakfast." He buried his face in her neck, bringing her closer.

"You cooked last night, it's my turn." She rubbed his back, smiling before her eyes widened a bit as she felt his lips brush against her skin. "Really Branch?" She giggled.

He smiled against her skin. "Yes really. I missed you." He whispered against her skin. He kept kissing her neck and nibbled her skin gently. He felt her tighten her grip on his vest as she held him. He took in her intoxicating scent, his mind raced as he held her closer with one arm, his other hand going up her back. He kissed her skin again before he made a trail of kisses down to her shoulder, moving her dress strap and kissed the newly exposed skin.

"You get touchy when you're sleepy." She teased as she relaxed into his touch, leaning against him. She buried her face at the base of his neck, smirking against his skin and kissed it. Branch bit her shoulder teasingly in return, his hand going back down her back to her waist. He quickly spun them around so Poppy was the one leaning against the counter, his hands at her waist keeping her close to him. He felt her shiver under his touch and stopped. She felt him kiss her shoulder once more before he pulled back away from her shoulder. She looked at him and was met with his lips on her forehead, both their faces extremely dark in colour as they stared at each other 

"I can't wait for breakfast." He smiled and moved back to get his coffee.

Poppy frowned slightly. "You are such a tease." She muttered to herself before she went to gather the supplies she needed.

Branch smiled and sat at the table to drink his coffee, enjoying his view as he drank. Branch yawned again, the coffee not taking effect yet as he fell asleep at the table. Poppy turned around to speak but saw his head resting on the table. She walked over to him to make sure he was asleep before she went to check on Rose. She peered over the couch and saw Rose trembling, her face scrunched up in fear. Poppy slowly went and knelt before her. She gently hummed a soothing tune, hoping to help sooth the trolling. Suddenly Rose screamed and shot up, her eyes full of terror as she looked around. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me." Poppy said, placing a hand on hers. 

Rose looked at her, breathing heavily before she heard footsteps rushing over and saw Branch looking over the couch. Branch looked between them, before he focused on Rose. "You're safe here Rose, don't worry." Branch told her. 

Rose looked between them and sat up, calming down. "How is your arm? Does it still hurt?" Poppy pointed to her right arm that had the IV pulled out. Rose lifted her arm, bending it and shook her head. "That's good! Are you hungry? I was just about to make waffles." She smiled at her and stood up.

Rose looked down, holding her bear tightly in her hand before she looked at Poppy and nodded. She reached up to Poppy, tears still in her eyes. Poppy smiled at her and picked her up. "Do you want me to put you on the ground or on the chair?" She asked. Rose didn't motion to anything, placing her head on Poppy's shoulder. Poppy stood still for a moment before she gently rubbed her back.

Branch looked at them. "I'll make the waffles. You have your arms full." He went to the kitchen and looked at the ingredients Poppy had out and started making the food. 

Poppy walked around as she held Rose, before she felt Rose poke her shoulder. She looked down at her. "What is it Rose?" She asked, seeing Rose poke her shoulder again. Poppy looked at where she was poking and stopped. "Branch!" She shrieked.

Branch stopped what he was doing and looked over at her. "What?" He looked at her confused.

Poppy placed Rose on the table and walked over to Branch. "Look what you did!" She moved her strap revealing a purple spot on her shoulder. He stared at it for a minute before smirking. "Don't give me that look! You did it on purpose didn't you!"

"I didn't do it on purpose, but you can easily hide it with the strap." He moved her strap back, a smirk still on her face. "The one on your neck would be harder to hide." He whispered in her ear before he quickly took a few steps back to get out of her reach.

She narrowed her eyes at him before she went to the bathroom to check her skin. "I can't believe you Branch." She said when she came back, pouting. 

"What? I think it looks nice. Maybe you need a matching one on the other side." He wrapped his arms around her but she quickly squirmed out of his grasp.

"No! No you will not." She crosses her arms. "I had stuff to do today, now I have to figure out how to hide it." She muttered before going to the table. 

Branch brought over two waffles to the table, placing them in front of them. "Maybe you should stay here with us then." He whispered in her ear, kissing it as he walked back to the kitchen to make his own waffle. 

Poppy blushed slightly, staring at him. "You totally planned that, didn't you?!" 

"I didn't plan it, it just happened that way." He shrugged, his back turned to them as he cooked. 

"I guess I'll stay for a couple extra hours and see if they fade." She said, seeing Branch's ears perk up when she spoke. She giggled before she started eating and looked at Rose, who didn't touch her food. "Are you going to give it a try?" She asked.

Rose stared at it, poking it with her fork. Poppy could tell she was still exhausted mentally and physically. Branch walked over with his place and sat across from Rose. "Is something wrong with it?" He asked Rose, seeing her shake her head in response. "How about you take four bites? Like last night?" He asked, taking a bite of his own waffles.

Rose looked at them, before taking a small bite. She ate it slowly, picking at the rest as she ate.  
Branch and Poppy soon finished, and Poppy took their plates to the sink. She looked at Roses plate, seeing she ate almost half of her small waffle. "Do you want anymore Rose?" Poppy asked, seeing her shake her head. "Alright, just let us know when you are hungry later okay?" She smiled and took her plate to wash.

Branch placed Rose on the ground and looked at her. "Is there anything you want to do today?" He asked her, seeing her looked down. "What about drawing? Play any games? Maybe go for a walk outside?" He asked her, as she shook her head again. "Alright, do you have anything in mind?" He handed her a notepad and pencil for her to write. Rose took them but only stared at the paper. "It's okay if you don't know what you want to do, you can take your time to think about it. We will clean up quickly and see what you can think of after, okay?" Branch stood up and walked to the kitchen to help Poppy clean, keeping an eye on Rose while he cleaned.

Branch walked up behind Poppy, his arms going around her and placed his chin on her shoulder. "I'm sorry about those. I really didn't mean for that to happen. I just...couldn't stop myself."

Poppy stopped washing the dish she had in her hand and turned her head to look at him. "I know you didn't Branch. Besides, who said I wanted you to stop." She whispered the last sentence in his ear, seeing his ears perk up and could feel his face heat up against her shoulder. She giggled at his reaction, feeling him holding in a breath and kissed his cheek. "And next time you want me to stay, just tell me. Now instead of standing there watching me clean, why don't you help me?"

Branch let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and kissed her cheek softly before he let her go. "Whatever you say, my Queen." He saw her grin at his words, and grabbed a cloth and started drying the dishes and putting them away. Branch glanced at her as he cleaned, not believing the words that came out of her mouth. 

After a few minutes of silence Branch looked over at Poppy. "Did you know them well?" He whispered to her. 

Poppy looked back at him and nodded. "I know everyone. I went to their wedding years ago, and was there when they announced their egg." She looked back down at the dish's she cleaned. 

"I was thinking, if you have any stories about them maybe you should tell them to her. I think if someone told her happy stories it would help her." He said, drying the dishes she cleaned. 

"You think? It won't hurt her more?" She asked softly.

"Everything is going to hurt, but I think she needs to know, needs to hear stories about them. At least I think it may help." He said, looking at Rose who didn't move from her spot. 

"I guess I can tell her a couple of stories." She looked at Rose as well, quickly finishing cleaning. She walked over to Rose. "Hey Rose, do you want to come sit down on the couch with me?" She held her hand out towards her. Rose nodded, slowly taking Poppy's hand as she was led to the couch. 

Branch soon finished as well and followed them, sitting on the other side of the couch. He could tell Poppy was a little nervous to tell her, so he spoke first. "Have you thought of what you wanted to do today?" He asked, seeing Rose shake her head. 

Poppy glanced at Branch before looking at Rose. "You know, your mom was always having trouble choosing between things." She smiled at her. Rose quickly looked at her, her eyes wide. "There was one time I ran into her at the store, she was having such trouble choosing between a pink rose onesie and a yellow daisy one for you for when you hatched."

Rose kept her eyes on Poppy, her mouth open slightly as she listened. "I told her the pink Roses would match more with the colours on your egg, but she ended up getting both." She smiled at Rose, who moved a bit closer to Poppy. Poppy glanced at Branch, who motioned to continue. "There was one time, I was handing out invitations and singing a song of course. I saw Bea and Sterling so I walked over and held their invitations to them, but they didn't see me and they were about to kiss. I held the invitations up and instead of them kissing, they kissed the invitations! When they moved back in surprise, the invitations stuck to their lips!" Poppy giggled, remembering the story. She looked down at Rose who only stared at her. Poppy kept a smile on her face, but stopped talking and looked at Branch. 

Branch looked from Poppy to Rose. "That was a good story, wasn't it Rose? I'm surprised the invitations stayed on their lips." He said, seeing Rose taking out her notebook.

Rose started writing, taking a minute to write down her words. When she finished she held the notebook up to Poppy to read. 'That happen?' She looked at Poppy over the book, seeing Poppy nod. Rose started writing more. 'More?' She showed Poppy the page again. 

Poppy read the page and her eyes lit up. "More? Like you want to hear more stories about them?" She saw Rose nod shyly, crawling into Poppy's lap. Poppy smiled and started telling her more stories about her parents happy wedding and how excited they were about their first egg. "I was there when you hatched. I remember how happy and excited they were when you hatched. They were also a little scared and nervous too, they didn't know what to expect. They were always so proud and happy of you Rose." Poppy smiled at her, as Rose stared at her with teary eyes. 

Rose looked at Poppy sadly, before looking down as a couple tears fell. She wiped her eyes as she sniffled, grabbing her notebook and started writing. 'I miss mama and dada.' She wrote as a couple tears fell on the page.

Poppy read the page, her heart heavy as she read it. "I know you do sweetheart. I'm going to miss them too, but you know what?" She saw Rose lift her head. "You may not be able to see them, but they will always be with you. In here." She placed her hand over Roses heart. "They will always be watching over you. They will be in the night sky as the bright star, bringing light to the dark sky. Sometimes you may feel them in the wind, running a hand through your hair. You may not see them, but they will always be in your heart." Poppy looked down at Rose, a tear in her eye as she smiled. 

Rose looked up at Poppy in awe, quickly writing in her notebook. 'Really?' She held the book up to Poppy's face. 

Poppy nodded. "That's what my dad always told me. When I was young, my dad would always hold me like this and let me listen to his heartbeat." Poppy gently moved so she was cradling Rose like a baby against her chest, Rose's head over her heart. "He would tell me stories about my mom. I never knew her, she passed a couple months after I hatched. He would tell me I looked just like her, that I had her eyes and her laugh. He would always say even though I don't remember her, that she will always love me. She was always watching over me, making sure I was okay."

Branches couldn't help but stare at Poppy as she spoke. He never heard Poppy talk about her mother before, he also saw a tear in her eyes as she continued to speak. "When I was little, I would stand outside on the windy days to feel the wind going through my hair and think it was my mom brushing my hair." Poppy stopped, feeling Rose grab her dress tightly as she hugged Poppy. Poppy held her close, rocking her gently. "The point is, your mom and dad will always be there with you. You may not see them, but they are always watching over you." 

Branch moved closer to Poppy slowly, glancing down to see Rose had once again drifted off to sleep. This time Rose looked like she was actually enjoying her nap, causing Branch to smile slightly before looking up at Poppy. "Hey, you okay Poppy?" He asked softly. 

Poppy glanced at him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." She smiled softly, looking down at Rose.

"I never heard you mention your mom before." He gently placed his hand on her cheek, causing Poppy to look at him. "I may not have known her, but I know she is proud of you Poppy. You are an amazing queen and amazing friend to everyone. I'm so proud of you too."

Poppy stared at him, seeing his loving expression made her heart melt. "I'm proud of you too Branch, and I know your grandma would be very proud too." She leaned forward slightly, placing her forehead against his. 

He gently moved his thumb in circles on her cheek, feeling her gently lean into his hand. He tilted his head and gave her a loving kiss, feeling her kiss him back. After a minute he pulled back, glancing at Rose again to make sure she was still asleep. "Since she's asleep, do you mind keeping an eye on her for a couple of minutes? I haven't had time to inspect the rest of my bunker to see if anything broke from yesterday." 

Poppy nodded. "I don't mind." She smiled at him, before looking down at Rose.

He kissed her cheek before standing up. "Thanks, I'll be right back." He said before he left the room and headed towards the main entrance to see what damage happened. 

Poppy sat in the silence for what felt like forever but was twenty minutes. "It's so quiet." She muttered to herself, looking down to see Rose still asleep. "Branch?" She called, hearing no response. "He said he had newer tunnels, I wonder how big this place really is." She sighed, getting bored before she heard the elevator. She looked over and grinned when she saw him. "Finally! I was so bored." She said when she saw Branch walk over.

"Sorry, I didn't think I'd be that long." He looked over the couch to see Rose still asleep. "This is the longest I've seen her sleep. Do you want me to take her?" 

Poppy shook her head. "No, I'm okay. We may wake her if we try to move her, if this is the longest she's slept I want her to stay sleeping then." She saw Branch sit down next to her. "So was there a lot of damage?" She asked.

He nodded slightly. "The main entrance had been stepped on and the rock above it moved so it's stuck. Another exit caved in so I have to dig that out. One storage space is blocked, but I dug far enough to see nothing inside seemed to be broken which is good. Three new tunnels caved in as well, but nothing was in those." He explained, letting out a sigh. "It will take me a couple months to repair." 

"I'm sure there are trolls that will help, if you want." She offered, even though she knew he would say no. "It won't take long with more trolls helping."

He looked at her, smiling slightly. "I'd rather work on it myself. I built this whole place by myself, it would be weird if I had help now. Besides, other trolls will probably be busy building new homes for those who lost theirs yesterday." He reached over and held her free hand.

Poppy looked around his bunker. "I still can't believe you built this whole place yourself. I mean before you had a lot of writing on the walls and weapons everywhere. Now it's become cozy." She smiled at him. 

He blushed slightly. "Those weapons are put away so no child sneaks in here and gets hurt, but they are still there in case they are needed." He saw Poppy roll her eyes. "It's better to be prepared." 

"Weapons aren't dangerous. Hugs fix just about all problems!" She grinned.

Branch was about to protest before his ear twitched, hearing voices outside his bunker. He stopped for a moment trying to make out who it was. "There's someone outside, I'll be right back." He stood up. Poppy looked at him, going to stand up but Branch stopped her. "You should wait here with Rose. I don't know how Rose feels about other trolls seeing her yet, and since she's still sleeping I don't want to wake her." He kissed Poppy's forehead, seeing her pout but didn't get up. "Thank you. I'll be right back." Branch made his way to the surface, as he got closer he could make out more of the voices.

Branch reached the surface, hearing his name being called out. "Tresillo? Marimbo? Tambora? What are you three doing here?"

"You're late." Tresillo said, looking at him. "We were supposed to meet up, remember?" He raised an eyebrow at Branch.

Branch placed a hand over his face, sighing slightly. "I totally forgot, I didn't realize it was today. I'm sorry, I can't today. Something came up." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"We thought you might have forgotten, but we had to make sure." Marimbo said, pointing to the large footprint.

"After what happened yesterday, we thought it was better to check on you." Tambora finished.

"I'm fine. The creature ran over my bunker, a couple of my tunnels caved in but it's nothing." He shrugged.

"Yeah, yesterday was a surprise for everyone. I've never heard of a troll going grey, and a child at that." Tresillo said, catching Branch's attention.

"You never seen one either, huh?" He muttered to himself. 

"What did you say?" Tresillo looked at him.

"Oh, nothing." He said, glancing away for a second. "Well, I'm sorry again about forgetting. I am going to be busy the next couple of weeks, but we can reschedule for another time." 

"Couple of weeks? What are you going?" Tambora asked curiously.

"I have a guest staying with me, they will most likely take up a lot of my time the next couple of weeks." He could feel their gaze on him, hoping his answer was enough.

After a moment Tresillo spoke. "Cool. You will have to introduce us sometime. We will see you around then. Bye Branch." He said as they started to head out.

Branch waved, about to go back into his bunker but heard his name again. He looked around, seeing the bushes ruffle. "Hello?" He called, staring at the bushes.

An older troll with pink fuzzy hair stepped out, smiling at him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> CHAPTER TEN!! I can't believe we're at ten already!  
> I hope you like this chapter! I don't own trolls but Rose is my OC.

"Branch, there you are! I was looking for your mat but I can't seem to find it." Peppy looked around, seeing the rock toppled over behind Branch.

"The creature yesterday turned over the rock, so my mat is hidden under it. I'll try to fix it in the next couple of days." He saw Peppy was carrying a large bag. "Is there a reason why you're out here sir?" He asked.

"I came to see you, my boy, and I figured since I haven't seen Poppy all morning she would be here as well." He looked at Branch. "You look terrible child, doesn't look like you had a good night. I heard about the child, and that you have taken her in, must be true. I thought I'd come by and see how you are doing. I also ran into King Trollex, he was going to hand you these letters so I thought I'd bring them to you." 

"Do I look that bad? Poppy said the same thing." He muttered. "Well, why don't you come in? I'll take those letters." He went and picked the bag off Peppy's shoulders and led him to the new entrance. Once they got inside he looked at the older troll. "Would you like anything? Something to eat or a drink?" He asked.

"A coffee would be lovely, thank you." Peppy smiled.

"Sure." Branch smiled back, walking into the main area and dropped the bag of letters. "Hey, Poppy. Your dad is here." He said as he saw Poppy's hair move on the couch. "Is she still asleep?" He asked. 

"Yeah, she is." Poppy stood up, smiling. "Dad, what are you doing here?" Poppy walked over to Peppy, meeting him halfway. 

"I came by to bring Branch some letters and to see the little one." He smiled, seeing the grey trolling in her arms. 

Branch looked at Poppy. "Do you want anything to drink? I'm making coffee." He saw Poppy shake her head. "Do you want me to take Rose so you two can talk?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She smiled at him, seeing him nod and go to the kitchen.

Peppy looked at her. "Have you talked to him yet?" He spoke quietly.

Poppy frowned slightly. "No, I was going to but with everything that happened yesterday I couldn't." She replied quietly.

"You need to tell him soon my dear, you should have told him months ago." He went and sat on a chair next to the couch. 

"I know, it's just hard." She sat back on the couch, looking down at Rose who shifted in her sleep, grumbling slightly. 

"I know it's hard, but he has to know. It's Branch anyways, I'm sure he will understand." Peppy smiled, seeing how nervous his daughter was. "Branch is a good choice."

Poppy blushed, about to speak but hearing Branch walk into the room, bringing Peppy his coffee along with one for himself. "Good choice? For what?" Branch asked, hearing the last sentence.

"Oh, nothing!" Poppy turned around suddenly to see him. When she turned Rose jolted awake, staring up at Poppy and yawned as she rubbed her eyes with her hand. Poppy looked down. "I'm sorry I woke you Rose, you can go back to sleep if you want." She said, seeing Rose staring up at her. 

Rose shifted slightly in her arms and shook her head, glancing around the room and her eyes stopped on Peppy. Peppy smiled when he saw Rose looking at him. "Why, hello there little one." Rose quickly moved out of Poppy's arms and ran across the couch to Branch, hiding between Branch's back and the couch cushions.

Branch moved slightly. "Hey, be careful with your arm. Come out of there. No one is going to hurt you." He spoke softly, turning and reached for her. Rose took a moment but slowly came out, crawling onto Branch's lap. Rose glanced at Peppy, still nervous about the older troll, hiding her face in Branch's arm and holding onto his hand tightly. "Sorry about that sir, she gets nervous around anyone new." Branch gently placed his other hand on her back, hoping to calm her down. 

"There is no need for apologies, It's alright. I did come unannounced." He reached and took a sip of his coffee. "She does seem to have an attachment to you Branch." He looked up to see Branch nod. "That's a good thing, and I'm glad it's you who is taking care of her." He looked at Rose, who was peeking over Branch's arm at him. "She looks so much like you did." He commented, before looking down at his coffee. "There are some things I would like to talk to you about, would you prefer to talk in private?" He looked up at Branch.

Branch looked at him curiously. "What do you want to talk about?" 

"I wanted to talk to you about stuff I should have talked to you about a long time ago." He let out a small sigh. 

Branch stiffened slightly, looking down at Rose then glance at Poppy. "It's fine if they're here. I would tell Poppy eventually."

Poppy looked at Branch. "Are you sure? We can go to her room and maybe start decorating."

"If you want to go you can, but if you want to stay that's okay too. I know you're curious." He looked up at her. 

"I am curious to know, but I also..." She stopped when she felt Branch's hand on hers. She looked at him, his eyes staring into hers as if saying he wanted her to stay. "Alright, i'll stay. But if you want me to go at any time, just tell me." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, smiling.

Branch blushed slightly, still nervous around Peppy when it came to any thing more then a hug. Peppy was Poppys father after all, he wanted to stay on his good side. He smiled at her, keeping his hand on hers as Peppy nodded. 

"Alright." He took another sip of his coffee. "I wanted to start by apologizing to you Branch. My motto was never leave a troll behind, but you were the one troll I did leave behind." He looked down. "It was my fault you left town and built your bunker. I was the king, I was supposed to look after everyone in the village. I let you down, and I'm so sorry Branch." 

Branch stared at him as he spoke. "Sir, it wasn't your fault. You just lead all the pop trolls to a new life away from the Bergen's, you have to build a new village for the trolls. You had so much to do, even I knew that as a child." 

"I still should have looked out for you. I fail you." Peppy let out a shaker sigh. "What do you remember about your childhood branch?" He asked.

"I don't really remember much, besides a few odds and ends." He shrugged, not going into detail.

"Do you know anything about your parents?" Peppy looked at him, seeing Branch shake his head. "You're mother, Fern, was a very kind troll. You look a lot like her, you have her eyes and hair. You act like her as well, she had a plan for almost everything. The one thing she didn't plan for was meeting you father, Birch. I didn't know him, he was a very mysterious troll. He showed up one day at the tree, no one knew where he came from. A lot of us greeted him immediately, but your mother and grandmother were very cautious about him. I think that's what got him interested in your mom in the first place, she would ignore him and want nothing to do with him. Over a couple of months she finally gave in and they started hanging out, but Trollstic was nearing faster than anyone wanted. Birch wasn't afraid of the Bergen's, he said he would fight them off so everyone can be free. He started giving us hope that we could live outside the cage. Your parents weren't together long, but they knew they wanted to be together forever so not long before Trollstic your egg was put in the care of your grandmother." Peppy stopped for a moment, looking at them as he saw Rose was also listening to his story. "That Trollstic was our most terrible one. There were quite a few trolls who decided to fight back, But very few came back alive. Your parents sacrificed themselves to try to make your future a happier place." He finished.

Branch stared at him before he looked at the ground, unsure of what to think. Rose stared up at Branch, squeezing his arm tightly as she rested her head against his arm.

Poppy looked at Branch as well, intertwining their fingers as he glanced at her.

"It was because of them I decided it was enough, and it took four years to dig the escape tunnels." He looked up at Branch. "You know, before you were grey you were one of the happiest, most troublesome kids at the tree. You were always making everyone laugh, and sneaking off without telling Rosiepuff. The first time we had most of the tree looking for you, a half hour later we found my wife carrying you because you snuck into our pod to take a nap with her." Peppy chuckled at the memory as Branch and Poppy stared at him with wide eyes.

"With mom?" Poppy whispered.

"But why? I don't remember any of this." Branch said, confused.

"I never knew why, but you would always bring a flower from your grandmother's garden and spend half the day with her. I figured over time you took a liking to her because she was very motherly to all the children, and you like the feeling. You would always follow us around, no matter what we were doing and Joy loved it. She always said she never had favorites, but it was easy to see you were her favorite trolling. It was because of you Joy wanted to have children, and you were one of the first trolls she told about the egg." Peppy smiled. "You were very curious about the egg, always asking where it came from and when it would hatch." 

Rose tapped Branch's arm, looking at him confused. Branch looked down at her, confused for a minute before he blushed slightly. "You will find out with your older." He said, guessing she was asking about eggs. 

Peppy smiled at the child before he continued. "There was one day, Joy teased about how protective you were for a trolling and said you could be a knight one day. You lit up like the sun thinking she meant that you were going to be a knight that very moment. That night, you fell through the roof of our pod and landed on the bed. You have us such a fright, a few trolls came running because of how loud we screamed. When we asked what you were doing you said you saw a spider in the pod and had to protect the egg like a knight would. Imagine Rosiepuffs face when we returned you back home at 3 in the morning." He chuckled.

"That does sound like Branch." Poppy giggled, looking at Branch who was blushing slightly.

"I don't want anyone getting hurt." He muttered.

"Because of that incident Rosiepuff had to keep a sharp eye on you, but you always had your daily nap at our pod. At least you did until Poppy hatched." He looked at Poppy and smiled, before looking at Branch again. "You were actually the first troll to see Poppy after she hatched. You were so timid about seeing Poppy for the first time you tried to climb me like a tree to take a look into Joys hair, and threw a flower at Poppy making sure not to get too close. That's actually part of the reason we named her after a flower. That day you started bringing in a bright red poppy flower and instead of giving it to Joy like you always did, you have it to Poppy. Joy thought it was the cutest thing, and after much consideration we ended up with the name Poppy." He smiled softly.

"I don't remember any of this." Branch frowned slightly, but felt Poppy squeeze his hand. "I really wish I could remember. She sounds like an amazing troll." 

"She was, she loved you like her own. After Poppy was born you started giving her more space, I think you were intimidated but you always brought flowers and left them at the door. Not long after she got sick, and Rosiepuff would come bring you to see her and to look after Poppy. When she passed..." Peppy took a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It was a great loss to the whole tree, but you did take it harder than most. You stopped coming by, but I always found a flower outside the door every morning." He stopped, looking down.

Poppy stood up and walked over to her dad and hugged him. "I know you miss her dad." She whispered to him. 

Peppy hugged her back. "I wish she could have seen you now. She would be so proud of you, proud of the both of you." He looked at Branch, a small smirk on his face. "She told me one night that when you two were older she hoped you liked each other."

Both Branch and Poppy blushed slightly, glancing at each other shyly. Rose shook Branch's arm again, holding up her notebook to him. Branch looked down at her and read the one word on the paper. "More? More what?" She pointed over at Peppy shyly. "Oh, you want more stories." He saw her nod to confirm he was right. She started writing more after a moment. 'Food.' Branch's looked at her, smiling. "Alright, write down what you want."

"The rest of what I have to say aren't happy tales." He said, looking at the Branch. 

Branch nodded, standing up with Rose still in his arms. "Rose is hungry anyways, so maybe we can talk another day we could talk?" Branch's voice came out more nervously than he wanted. 

Peppy chuckled. "Of course my boy, if you ever want to talk just come ask." 

"I can look after her if you two want to keep talking." Poppy suggested.

"You had her all morning." Branch said, looking at them. "Is there anything you two want to eat?" He asked.

"I already ate, so I'm good with my coffee." Peppy replied.

"I'll have a little of whatever you're making." Poppy smiled.

Branch nodded and walked to the kitchen, seeing Rose wrote cupcakes he decided to make pasta for lunch and will go get cupcakes for later which Rose agreed to.

Peppy watched Branch for a moment. "I have to say, Branch is more fatherly to her then I expected." He said, looking at Poppy who was watching Branch as well.

Poppy grinned. "Isn't he? I honestly didn't think he would have acted this way at first, but when he saw her in the hospital it's like a switch went off in his head. He barely leaves the room she's in, not that she lets him. She really clings to him, it's so cute!" Poppy explained, looking at her father. "I think he sees himself in her, and wants her to not go through what he went through."

Peppy nodded, his ears down a bit as he sighed. "I wish there was more I could have done to help him, but I had no clue what to do. I am glad she had Branch to look after her."

Poppy looked at her dad. "What did cause Branch to want to be alone for so long?" She asked him.

Peppy looked down. "That is part of the story I wanted to tell him, I will tell you two another day. For now, why don't we focus on Rose. Is Branch going to keep her or is he just looking after her until another family takes her in?" He asked.

Poppy glanced at Branch and Rose. "I don't really know. I think Branch's is thinking of only looking after her until we find a family to take care of her, but it's too early to tell."

"And what about you?" Peppy asked her.

Poppy looked at him confused. "What about me?" 

"Well, what if Branch does end up taking her in as his child. What would you do?"

Poppy stared at him. "I never thought about it that way." She looked back at Branch and Rose. Rose was sitting on the counter watching Branch as he got her to taste stuff as he cooked, seeing Rose eating whatever Branch gave her. Poppy smiled, and turned back to her dad. "I'd be very happy if that happens. If that means we both take care of her, I would really like that." She blushed bright red as she thought of what her future with Branch might be. 

Peppy smiled. "You will be an amazing mother." He said, causing Poppy to blush more.

"I think it's a bit early to say that dad." She said embarrassed. "I'm going to go check and see if they need help. Do you want a refill on your coffee?" 

"That would be wonderful, thank you my dear." He handed her the empty mug and watched her bounce to the kitchen. 

Poppy grinned, bouncing happily to the kitchen. She placed the mug on the counter and stood next to Branch, causing him to turn and face her. "Branch! Branch! Branch!" She bounces on her toes as she spoke.

Branch started mimicking her bouncing. "Poppy! Poppy! Poppy!" He teased playfully, smiling at her.

Poppy laughed and stopped bouncing, her arms going around him happily. "I wanted to see what you're making, it smells good!" She looked at Rose. "And I see someone has been a little taste tester. How is it?" She saw Rose hold her hand up, giving Poppy a thumbs up. "A thumbs up! Oh I can't wait to try it." She kissed Branch's cheek before letting go and started making Peppys coffee. Once she finished pouring the coffee she went to the fridge and started looking around for a moment.

Branch looked at her. "What are you looking for?" He asked as he continued to cook.

"I'm looking for the- Ah! Found it!" She pulled out a large bottle of juice.

Branch looked at the bottle and rolled his eyes. "You and that watermelon juice." He joked. Rose tilted her head and leaned forward, trying to get a better look at what Poppy had.

Poppy saw Rose and held it out to her. "Branch makes the best watermelon juice! Do you want a cup?" She saw Rose nod, and started looking for a small cup for her. Poppy poured Rose her cup and handed it to her. "Be careful not to spill it." 

Rose took the cup and smelt it, looking at it curiously before taking a sip. Her ears perked up when she got the sip, drinking the cup quickly. "Hey now, don't chug it. You may get hiccups if you drink too fast." Branch told her. Rose looked at him, before holding her empty cup to Poppy.

"You like it! I told you it was good, right?" Poppy poured more juice in her cup, seeing her ears perk up more at the juice. "Branch is going to have to make more soon." She giggled, taking the coffee to her dad before walking back and scooping Rose up in her arms.

"Hey, you're taking my taste tester." Branch protested as Poppy kept walking with Rose in her arms. 

Poppy turned her head and stuck her tongue out at him, grinning as she turned to Rose. "She's my juice buddy now!" She tapped her cup against Roses and drank her juice. 

"Are you sure you don't want some Peppy? I made too much." Branch said loudly, adding in the last ingredients. 

"It does smell really good. I will have a small bowl." Peppy got up and walked over to the table where Poppy was placing Rose.

Rose watched Peppy closely, causing him to stop. She took out her notepad and started writing, and slowly slid it over to Peppy. Peppy looked at it confused for a moment before he read it out loud. "Thank store?" He looked at Rose, then at Poppy.

"I think she means story. Thank you for the story, right?" Branch said, bringing over two small bowls for Peppy and Rose first. He saw Rose nod, and reached for her book. Branch slid her notebook back to her and leaned over her shoulder slightly. "The E needs to be a Y for story, but you were very close." He placed her bowl in front of her. Rose quickly fixed it before sliding it back to Peppy so he could see.

"You're welcome Rose. Thank you for listening." He smiled, passing her the notebook before he looked down at his bowl. He saw Branch come back with his and Poppys bowls. "Thank you Branch, this looks very good."

Branch placed the bowls down as Poppys grinned. "Branch makes some of the best food!" She said as she started digging in.

Peppy took a bite, smiling as he ate. "This is delicious." Peppy said as he ate.

Branch smiled. "The secret is to add a lot more salt to the boiling pasta." He said, before looking at Rose. "Have you tried..." he stopped when he saw Rose's almost empty bowl. "Okay kid, slow down. You can have more if you want." He said, surprised at how fast she was eating. "You're going to get the hiccups." He warned again. Rose looked at him and ate slower, but still quickly finished her bowl. She looked at him and waited. "Would you like some more?" He asked as she nodded eagerly. "Alright. I'm glad you're liking it." He grabbed her bowl and went to get her more, but was stopped when Peppy said his name.

"Could I have some more as well? That was amazing." He asked.

Branch smiled and took his bowl. "Sure." He went and filled the bowls and brought them back. 

They all ate in silence for a while, before Peppy spoke. "Poppy, I've been meaning to ask what happened." 

Poppy looked at him confused. "What do you mean dad?" 

"Your neck, it looks like you bruised it." He already knew what it was but he couldn't wait to see their reactions.

Branch was mid chew, almost spiting out his food when he heard what Peppy said. Poppy was about to take a bite, her spoon close to her mouth then she froze. Both their faces darker as they glanced at Peppy. "O-oh yeah, that. It is a, um, bug bite. Yeah, a bug bite. It kept scratching it and it must have bruised." She said, covering her neck with her hand.

Peppy stared at her for a moment before nodding. "You mustn't scratch, it will just make it worse." He went along with her story, seeing both of them relax. "You should be more careful." He warned.

Rose looked at them all confused,before a small sound caught their attention. Rose quickly covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide. Branch smirked slightly, looking at her. "I told you. You got the hiccups."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!  
> This chapter had some more fluff! It's so much fun writing it! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I don't own trolls but Rose is my OC.

Rose looked down embarrassed, her bangs hiding her eyes. Another small hiccup caused her body to shake slightly. "You okay kid?" Branch asked, seeing her nod slightly and hiccup again. "Just take a deep breath in and hold it for a few seconds then let it out. Do that a few times, it will help." He stood up and patted her back gently as she followed his instructions. He saw the empty bowls. "Do any of you want more?" He saw them shake their heads and he took the bowls.

"That was very good Branch. Thank you." Peppy smiled and stood up. "I should take my leave now, I don't want to burden you any farther." He told Branch, hearing Rose hiccup again.

"You did not burden us sir. I really appreciate what you told me, thank you." Branch said, looking at the leftover. "Would you like to take any home with you? I made way too much." He started putting the extra in containers.

"I'd love to take some. Thank you Branch." He smiled, and went to the kitchen. "If you ever want to talk Branch, don't hesitate to talk to me."

Branch closed the container for Peppy, handing it to him. "I was actually wondering." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "If maybe you had any photos? I only have two photos and they're pretty damaged, and my father isn't in either of them. They're only of my grandmother and mother."

Peppy smiled at Branch. "I'll look around and see what I have. I'll bring them by tomorrow." He saw Branch's eyes lit up causing Peppy to smile more. "I'm sorry I never told you about anything earlier."

Branch shrugged. "It's okay. Better late than never, right?" He smiled at Peppy.

Peppy smiled back, and wrapped his arms around Branch bringing him into a hug. Branch hesitated for a second before hugging him back. "You have grown to be an amazing troll Branch. I'm very happy to think one day you will be my son in law." He patted Branch's back and went to talk to Poppy. Branch was frozen in place at his words, his heart racing as the blush rose on his face and ears.

Rose ran to Branch, jumping in place to get his attention. When Branch looked down she opened her mouth pointing to it. "Are you still hungry? Thirsty?" He asked, kneeling down. She shook her head, pointing to her throat. "Oh, your hiccups are gone." She nodded and wrapped her arm around his leg.

"I should probably head out too, there's a few things I need to do around town and it's already past lunch time." Poppy said as she finished her juice and looked at Branch.

Branch stood up and looked at her, about to take a step forward before he felt his leg weighted down. He looked down as Rose held onto his leg, her feet on his so she was balancing on his foot. Branch carefully walked out of the kitchen, making sure Rose was okay on his leg. "Okay ankle biter, come here." Branch said halfway out the kitchen and picked her up. He looked at Poppy and Peppy. "I'll lead you two out." He said as they started heading towards the side exit, passing by the letters. "Oh right. What letters are those Peppy, do you know?" Branch asked him as he picked one up.

"I believe they're from yesterday's meeting, questions the trolls had." Peppy said, looking at the large sack. "There are a lot of them." He stated.

Branch quickly read the question before putting it back. "I'll take a look at them later." He said before going back towards the exit. He stopped in front of the door, feeling Rose starting to squirm in his arms. He placed her down and opened the door, seeing her quickly walk and hugged Poppys leg as she looked at the door.

Poppy knelt down to the little trolls level. "I have a few things I have to go do, but I'll be back." She smiled at Rose, who shook her head. "Can I get a hug before I go?" She opened her arms.

Rose shook her head vigorously as Poppy lowered her arms slowly. Before Poppys arms were much lower Rose jumped towards her, wrapping her legs around her to keep from falling. Poppy hugged her back, as Rose clung to her, before she took out her notebook and started writing. 'No go.' She shoved the page into Poppy's face, a frown on her lips.

Poppy stared at the paper. "No go? What do you mean?" Poppy looked at Rose, who kept pointing to her words. "As in you don't want me to go?" Rose nodded and hugged her again. Poppy was shocked for a moment, rubbing Roses back gently. "Oh you're the sweetest thing!" Poppy cuddles her close. "I won't be gone long, I'll be back for dinner."

"You're coming back after?" Branch spoke, causing Poppy to look at him.

She smiled lovingly when she saw his ears were perked up and his eyes lit up at her coming back. She took a few steps closer to him, standing in front of him. "Of course I'm coming back after! Why wouldn't I?"

His eyes softened, giving her a loving look. "I wasn't sure how long you would be, and with the party after I thought I'd see you tomorrow instead of tonight." He shrugged.

"Oh, the party! I almost forgot about it." She said before she heard Branch's dramatic gasp.

"You? Forget a party?" He smirked when she looked back at him. "Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend? My Poppy would never forget a party!" He placed both his hands on her cheeks, pinching them teasingly. 

Poppy pouted as she started blushing, using her free hand to swat his hands away. "Stop it! And I didn't fully forget, I got distracted."

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, the smirk still on his face. He leaned towards her, his cheek touching hers. "What distracted you?" He kissed her cheek, feeling the heat from her bliss on his lips, before pulling back. "Come on Rose, you have to let Poppy go now." He gently tried to lift her up but she held onto Poppy tightly, shaking her head.

Poppy glared at him, her cheeks a dark pink. "You have to let go now Rose, okay?" She felt Rose shake her head again. "I'll be back soon." She gently moved her hand to Roses, unhooking her little fingers so Rose let go of her dress.

Branch moved Rose off of Poppy, and immediately started hearing Rose whimper as she reached for Poppy. Branch looked at Poppy, who was giving him a sad expression. "She will be fine, we will see later." He held Rose tightly as he felt her squirm in his arms.

Poppy nodded and took a few steps backwards, still watching Rose. Peppy placed a hand on Poppy's shoulder. "The quicker we go, the sooner you get back." He whispered as they started off towards the village. "See you tomorrow bug." Peppy called, causing both Branch and Poppy to freeze.

Both their faces heated with blush. "D-Dad!" Poppy said embarrassed.

"I may be old, but I was young once. I know exactly where those come from. You can't hide it from me." Peppy continued walking.

Rose started crying loudly, struggling against Branch. Branch snapped back from his embarrassed state and kept a hold of her, seeing Poppy in the distance, looking back as her ears fell before she headed back to the village. He shooed her before he went back inside. "Rose, it's okay. She will be back soon." He tried to sooth her, feeling her grip onto him tightly.

He sat on the couch and gently rocked her. "Come on kid, she will be here soon. Why don't we do something? Do you want to do something?" He asked, feeling her shake her head. He let out a small sigh, and let her cry for a bit longer. After another ten minutes, Rose's sobs started to fade. "How about we decorate your room? We could paint it if you want?" He suggested, seeing her shake her head. He thought for a moment. "Well, what do you want to do? I don't know what kids like to do." He sighed.

Rose looked at him, wiping her eyes before she took out the notebook and started writing. 'Draw?' She held her paper up to him. 

"You want to draw?" He sat up straighter, seeing her nod. "Alright, let me go get some more paper." He placed her on the at the table so she had a flat surface and went to get what she needed. Branch came back a couple minutes later with loads of paper and drawing utensils. "I used to like to draw, but I mostly designed this bunker."

Rose held up her notebook, which had 'thank you' written on it before she started drawing on the paper. As she started writing she saw in the corner of her eye that he was staring at her, causing her to sheepishly look away.

Branch snapped back from his train of thought. "Oh, sorry for staring. I was just thinking of soemthing. Stay here." He got up and started wondering as he looked for certain things.

When Branch came back he had a handful of miscellaneous items. Metal rings, cardboard, vines, tape, glue, and a few things Rose wasn't sure what they were used for. Rose watched as Branch started to work, noticing how his tongue was sticking out as he concentrated. She looked down at her paper and went back to drawing, sticking her tongue out as she worked as well. After a half hour Branch stopped and grinned. "There! It's finished." He held up his work to show her. 

Rose stared at it confused, before looking at him. "It's for you. I saw how the notebook is just about full and thought I'd make you your own notebook. It also works as a little bag." Branch opened the binder, revealing lots of blank pages. Inside it had a pocket to hold writing utensils, and the outside had a couple little pockets. "I even added a spot where you can keep Bebe. And I put a little bell here so you can get our attention." He put his hand through a hole on the top of it. He placed it on the table and opened the metal rings. "When you finish using the pages you can easily take them out and refill it with new paper, so you never have to run out." He said, proud of his work. He handed it to her, waiting to see how she liked it. 

Rose stared at it, before she started looking through the compartments. After a few minutes she took her toy bear Bebe and placed it in the spot Branch said she could go, ringing the bell a couple times as her eyes lit up in excitement. Rose held it up, looking at it before she opened it and started writing. 'Like it. Thank you.' She showed him it, as her eyes shined.

Branch grinned. "You really like it?" He saw her nod fiercely. "I'm glad you like it." He picked up the vine he had and laced it through the spine of the binder. "This way you can carry it without using your hands, it would be too bulky in your hair." He said as he tied it around her shoulder so the binder laid by her hip when she let it go. 

Rose stood up on her seat and jumped in place, testing it. Branch quickly placed an arm around both open sides of the chair. "Careful, don't jump on there. You could fall." He said cautiously  
, causing Rose to stop jumping on the chair and jumped onto his chest. Branch quickly placed a hand on her back to keep her from falling as he looked at her confused. Rose held him tightly, rubbing her face in his shoulder as she cuddled into him. Branch slowly held her closer, his hand making circles on her back gently. "I'm going to take this as a thank you. You're welcome kid." He smiled.

They held each other for a while longer, before Branch looked at her. "Hey, do you mind me calling you kid? Do you prefer I call you Rose or something else?" He asked as Rose shrugged. "I feel like I should call you kid, so how about something else? Like a nickname?" Rose stared at him confused for a moment before nodding. "I was thinking...twig?" He said, his ears down nervous about what she thought of it. 

Rose tilted her head a bit, before lifting her binder and started writing. 'Twig why?'

"Well, you and I are the only ones who have turned grey for more than a day, we're very similar. So you're like me, and you know." He rubbed his neck nervously. "A small Branch is a twig right? So I thought it was unique." He looked away. "I can always just call you Rose, it was..." When he glanced back at her, and froze when he saw it.

Rose had a small smile on her lips. This was the first time Branch saw her smiling. She started nodding vigorously, quickly writing in her book. 'Twig, twig, twig!' She quickly shoved the book in his face excitedly.

He stared at the book that was placed on his face, moving his head back so he could see her. "So you do like it?" He smiled, feeling her nod. "I'm glad." He whispered, holding her close before placing her on the table. "Well then twig." He said and she bounced in his arms happily at the nickname, letting out a small giggled which caused him to smile more. "I believe I did promise cupcakes. I don't have any at the moment, but we can go out to get some." He suggested, seeing her grow nervous about going out. "I guess we can try making some. I never made any before." He thought out loud, feeling her bounce in his arms. 

Rose quickly started writing. 'Cupcake!' She showed him the book.

"Alright. I guess we can give it a try." He went to the kitchen and placed her on the counter. "Is there any kind you want?" He asked, looking through some books he had but couldn't find a cupcake recipe. Rose pointed to the boxes that were still in the corner of the room. "There may be one in there. You're okay if I look in some to see?" He saw Rose nod and put her on the floor before he walked over to the boxes and started going through them. He found a handful of books, but none of them were cookbooks. "No luck twig." He said, looking at her. "What if we wait for Poppy? I'm sure she knows a recipe off by heart." 

Rose looked down, her ears lowered and nodded. Branch frowned slightly, before picking her up again. "Well, we can try it without a recipe I guess." Rose perked up and pointed to the kitchen. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" He muttered to himself and went back to the kitchen.

An hour later Branch was cleaning the kitchen as Rose was drawing cupcake designs she wanted to to make. Neither had heard the light footsteps coming towards them. "What in the name of troll happened here!" Poppy's voice echoed as she saw the state of the kitchen. The walls and ceiling were covered in flour, milk was dripping down the counter onto the floor where Branch was cleaning. 

Branch and Rose jumped as the voice, turning to the pink trolls behind them. Rose started hitting the chair to clap and tried to jump off the chair, Branch quickly caught her and placed her on the ground. "Poppy, I didn't expect you to come this early. I thought you would be back closer to dinner time." Branch walked over to her.

Poppy stared at them. Both of their hair had white speckles of flour and their clothes had what looked like batter on them. "It looks like you two lost a fight to a cake."

Rose reached up towards Poppy eagerly, her new binder in her hand. Poppy knelt down and Rose quickly started showing her all the things her book could do. "Wow Rose, that is so cool! Where did you get it?" Poppy smiled. 

Rose ran over to Branch, tapping his leg and ran back to Poppy. "Branch gave it to you? That is very nice of him!" She smiled at Branch before looking back down at Rose. "Why are you two so dirty?" Rose quickly opened her book and showed Poppy the word cupcake. "You two made cupcakes?" She looked up at Branch as she picked Rose up.

"Tried. We tried to make cupcakes. When we put the flour in the mixer it flew everywhere, the milk spilt everywhere, and I didn't have a recipe book so I don't think they will taste very good." He shrugged. "But it's what she really wanted to do so we gave it a shot." He looked at her before looking at Rose. "Why don't you go clean up?" He took a damp cloth and handed it to Rose. "Bathroom is down the hall, first door on the left." He reminded her as Poppy put her down and she walked to where she was told.

Once Rose was out of earshot Branch turned to Poppy. "What's wrong Poppy?" He asked, seeing Poppy look at him. 

"How did you know something is wrong?" She asked, looking at him confused.

He smiled slightly. "Your eyes always shine brighter than the sun, but right now it looks like the sun is hiding behind some clouds." He said poetically. "You may be smiling, but your eyes show you aren't happy." He took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Poppy relaxed into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. "The funeral is going to be tomorrow." She felt Branch stiffen at her words. "That's why I'm back earlier than expected. I thought it would be better if I told her sooner so she can prepare a bit for it." She held Branch tightly, looking up at him.

He gently rubbed her back. "You're right, it will be better for her to know what to expect." He kissed the top of her head, burying his face in her hair gently. After a minute he pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against hers. "So, um. Did your dad say anything after you left?" He asked, hearing her groan.

"Don't remind me. He started giving me the talk. Again." She leaned against him more, blushing slightly as she rubbed her nose against his and smiled. "But he was mostly teasing, no one else said anything about it while I was in town so I think they're gone."

He chuckled, placing a hand on her cheek. He felt her lean into his hand as she smiled more. "Your dad loves giving the talk. He even gave it to me a couple months back." He let out an embarrassed sigh. "That was not a fun lunch." He muttered as he heard Poppy giggle. He looked into her eyes and smiled, seeing her eyes sparkling. "There's my sunshine." He whispered and pressed his lips against hers, bringing her closer to him. 

Poppy kissed him back immediately, smiling even more when she pulled back. "You and your sweet words." She giggled as she kissed his nose. "Thank you, you always know how to cheer me up." She felt his hand leave her cheek and traveled down to her hands. He took a step back, bringing her with him as he slowly started dancing around the table, his eyes never leaving hers. Poppy laughed, grinning as her eyes watched him. "What are you doing?" She followed his steps, swaying along with him.

Branch shrugged. "I just felt like it." He lifted their hands and gently spun her, hearing her laugh fill the bunker. Branched grinned at her laugh, bringing her back to him and placed his hand around her waist as they kept dancing. Suddenly a small chime caused them to jump apart, and looked down to see Rose had come back. "Oh, sorry twig. I didn't realize you finished."

Poppy looked at Branch confused. "Twig? Why did you call her twig?" She looked between them.

Branched blushed slightly, looking away. "I thought I shouldn't call her kid anymore so I gave her a nickname." 

"And you chose twig?" She raised an eyebrow, staring at him.

"Well, yeah. Her and I are similar, and I thought what's a small branch? A twig. So I call her twig." He explained, looking at Poppy out of the corner of his eye. Poppy stared at him, a small pout on her lips. Branch gulped, taking a step back. "W-what is it?"

Poppy was silent for another minute. "That is the cutest nickname I have ever heard." She started smiling at Rose, but Branch could see there was something else in her eyes.

Branch looked at Rose. "Hey, can you go sit on the couch for a minute? We will be over in a minute." He saw Rose look at him infused before nodding and went to the other room. Branch turned back to Poppy. "Okay, what is it? Do you think I shouldn't give her a nickname? Is it better if I call her something else?"

Poppy looked at him and smiled. "It really is the cutest nickname, it's adorable. She seems to really like it too!" Poppy looked at him, before looking away slightly as she gently rubbed her arm.

Branch stared at her, before the corner of his mouth lifted. "Are you jealous?" He asked, seeing her shoot him a glare.

She stopped at his words. "Jealous? I am not jealous! Why would I be jealous? What would I be jealous about." She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Branch chuckled. "I'm not a hundred perfect sure why you would be jealous, but it does seem like you are." He took a step towards her and kissed her softly. "And here I thought you would never get jealous, let alone over a nickname." 

She frowned more. "I am not jealous!" She turned her back to him.

He reached into his hair before wrapping his arms around her. "You are jealous, admit it. It's fine to be jealous." He placed a piece of paper in her hand before he let her go and walked over to Rose so they could check on the cupcakes they were making.

Poppy looked down at the folded piece of paper before she smiled softly. Branch had made a list of nicknames he heard other couples call each other and ones he thought would fit Poppy. She couldn't help but smile more as she read a few that had means written down or had lines through. 'Sunshine, helping me through my dark storms. Honey, we always stick together no matter what. Sweetheart, isn't it obvious.' She giggled as she read them before putting it in her hair and watched Branch.

Rose tapped her hand against her side to make a loud clapping kind as she quickly walked to the kitchen and stood in front of the oven. "Okay, back up. It will be hot." He instructed, taking a pair of oven mitts and opened the oven once Rose was away from the door. He placed them on the oven too and looked at them questionably. "I don't think they look right." He said, feelings Rose tug his pants as she stood on her tiptoes trying to see but could barely reach the handle of the oven.

Branch lifted her so she could see, he saw her frown once she saw them. They looked burned on the top but were still bubbling around the rim, indicating they were still raw in the middle. "Sorry twig. I can go out and buy some if you want?" He offered, seeing her staring at the ruined cupcakes.

"Why don't I help you make a new batch?" Poppy walked into the kitchen. "I know dozens of cupcake recipes off my heart!" She saw Rose's eyes lit up, a small smile on her lips. Poppy stopped for a moment when she saw the smile, and started grinning herself. She quickly took Rose out of Branch's arms and lifted her in the air. "Oh you're so cute!" She brought her into her arms and cuddled her. "What's your favorite kind of cupcake? We can make different kinds!" Rose quickly took her book out and started writing a couple different kinds of cupcakes. "Okay, okay! How about we make a chocolate, strawberry short cupcake, and classic vanilla?" She saw Rose nod excitedly. "Alright, let's get started!" Poppy grinned, placing Rose on the counter and gathering the ingredients.

Branch watched, smiling before he went to the table and placed the bag of letters on it. After a couple minutes Poppy walked over to Branch. "Okay. Maybe I was an itty bitty bit." She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "It's just, we have been dating for almost six months and we didn't have nicknames." She buried her face in his shoulder, embarrassed.

Branch chuckled, moving his head and kissed her cheek. "First, we don't need nicknames. I like saying you name, but that list of some that I thought of in case it came up." He took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Secondly, you don't have to be jealous. You know you are the one troll I care for the most. You are the love of my life." He looked into her eyes, smiling as her eyes pierced his. He melted at her stare, pulling her closer to him. 

Poppy smiled, her nose gently against his as she was about to speak but heard a ring coming from the kitchen. They both looked towards the kitchen to see Rose holding up a half empty curtain of strawberries with one in her mouth. "Don't eat them all! We need those to make the cupcakes!" Poppy quickly went to Rose and went back to making cupcakes.

Branch watched, a smile on his lips as he rested his hand on his hand as he watched. His chest buzzed but he didn't fully know why, but he liked it. He let out a small sigh before he went back to reading the questions from the bag.


	12. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> I hope you like this chapter! This one was hard for me to write, and it isn't my best work compared to others. I like the ending but the next chapter I love and want to post that one so here is this one!
> 
> I don't own trolls but Rose is my OC.

Poppy placed the last batch of cupcakes in the oven, smiling as Rose licked the spoon the icing was in. "Don't eat it all! We need it for the cupcakes when they cool." Poppy picked her up, smiling as Rose put the spoon down and hugged her. It had been a couples hours since they started baking, and Poppy was happy to see Rose was enjoying herself as she helped bake. Poppy hugged her back as she walked over to Branch, seething his ears were down as she walked towards him. "Branch? You okay?" She asked, seeing Branch jump in the chair.

Branch quickly looked behind him. "I need to get you a bell." He placed a hand over his heart to calm himself down as he heard Poppy giggled.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me. Are you okay though? You look a little down, and stressed." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

He nodded. "I'm fine. I didn't realize the other trolls would have this many questions. There's a lot of generic ones, but there's a lot from the pop trolls as well." He handed her a couple, seeing the letters asking why Branch was always ruining parties and running through town screaming about Bergen's when he was grey. "It made me realize just how I acted." He sighed, having only gone through half the bag.

Poppy frowned, sitting in a chair next to him and placed Rose on the table. "When I was out there were people asking if it was true that there were other trolls who turned grey like Rose. I didn't mention anything about it being you, but I think some other trolls may tell those who didn't know." She placed a hand on his, squeezing it gently.

"I figured it would get out sooner or later. It's not something I can hide, or was trying to. It was nice having trolls who didn't know me back then." He sighed again, before moving the already read letters to a pile off to the side. "I can finish those another time." He looked at Rose who was looking at the kitchen timer waiting for the cupcakes. "We should tell her now." Branch whispered to Poppy, who nodded.

Poppy looked at Rose, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "Hey Rose, do you know what a funeral is?" Poppy asked her, taking her hand gently. Rose turned to her, shaking her head.

Branch moved his chair closer to Poppys so Rose could see both of them without turning her head much. "A funeral is like saying one last goodbye to those who passed." Rose stopped at his words. "Everyone who knows your parents will gather tomorrow to say thank you, good bye, and to say they love them." Branch did his best to explain. He watched as Rose lowered her head. "I know it's hard, and it will be sad, but I think you should go. If you don't want to, you don't have to. If you want to watch from a distance, we can do that as well." Branch offered, knowing she was nervous about other trolls.

Poppy gently squeezed her hand. "We want you to know what to expect if you do go." Poppy said, causing Rose to slowly look at her. "If you do go, a lot of trolls will come up to you and say 'sorry for your loss' or 'my condolences'. Everyone will gather around two closed caskets, and some may give speeches and share stories." Rose looked up at her more which Poppy saw. "After everyone has said what they wanted to, everyone goes and has a special gathering to celebrate their life. There will be food, and maybe more stories. Tomorrow will be a sad day, but everyone gets together and helps each other grieve. It will show just how many trolls cared about you and your parents."

Rose looked down after she finished, before slowly nodded. "You want to go?" Branch asked to make sure, seeing her nod again. "If at one point you feel it is too much, just let me know. You can hide in my hair or we can leave." He said, giving her options seeing her nod again. "That's good. I know it will be hard, but you aren't alone." He gently placed his hand over hers and Poppys, so Roses hand was between theirs.

Rose stared at their hands, her mind still processing the conversation as she gripped their fingers in her hand. She turned their hands over to look at Poppys hand under Branch's, curious at how much bigger Branch's hand was. "What are you doing?" Poppy asked, seeing her lift their hands. Suddenly a ting sound went off in the kitchen, indicating that the cupcakes were finished. Poppy smiled and stood up, taking her hand back gently. "The cupcakes are ready! We have to wait for them to cool first." She went and pulled out three different pans for the various flavours. She could hear Branch talking to Rose more about what will happen tomorrow and answering any questions she has. As she listened and started prepping the strawberries, soon she stopped hearing Branch's voice and glanced over to see Rose hugging Branch's arm tightly.

Branch placed a hand on her back gently as he held her. "If you have any other questions, write them down." He said, before he could smell the cupcakes and stood up. "You started the cupcakes, why don't you finish them?" He brought her over to the kitchen, placing her on the counter next to Poppy who was cutting the stems off strawberries. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

"I'm cutting the strawberries so they can fit inside the cupcakes!" She said happily, seeing Rose watching her excitedly. Rose's eyes were still a bit red from crying, but her excitement was clear as she watched Poppy.

Branch started reaching towards the already made chocolate icing, about to put some on his finger before he felt something hit his hand. He quickly retreated his hand, frowning as he looked at Poppy who smirked, her hand lowering to her hip. "What was that for? I just want some icing."

"You will have to wait until it's on a cupcake mister! So, either go sit down or help me." She moved her hip so it hit Branch's teasing, winking at him.

"Fine, I'll help." He took a step towards her so their arms were touching as he started copying her. He heard Poppy giggle as she leaned against his side gently, giving her a soft smile as he started icing the cooled cupcakes.

Rose held her drawing of her cupcake designs, seeing Poppy grin. "Oh I like those!" She handed Rose a piping bag for the vanilla cupcakes. "Here, you should try and make them!" Rose happily took it and tried making flower designs on her cupcake, but none of them came out as she wanted.

Branch saw the frown on Rose's face as she stared at her cupcakes, then she saw Poppys perfect cupcakes. "What's wrong twig?" He asked her, seeing her hold up one of her cupcakes. "What's wrong with it? It's a very nice flower." He said, before holding up his cupcake. His chocolate cupcake had chocolate icing and no other colour on it. Rose covered her mouth, holding back a laugh as Poppy burst out laughing. "Hey! Why are you laughing." He frowned, looking at Poppy.

"N-nothing! Nothings wrong, it's a very good first try! Maybe add some extra colours though." She said between laughs, not able to hold it in. Soon Rose joined her, laughing with a smile on her face. Poppy almost stopped laughing when she heard Rose laugh, but kept laughing along with her.

Branch stared at Rose, before he playfully pouted. "Come on you two, it's not that funny." He said, before Poppy stuffed one of his all brown cupcakes in his mouth, getting the brown icing everywhere in his face. Branch stood there shocked, his eyes moving go Poppy who quickly took a step back as she laughed. Rose started laughing louder, holding her side as she almost toppled over from laughing. Branch's eyes narrowed, taking some icing from one of his cupcakes and putting it on Rose's nose, who stopped and stared at her nose full of icing before she started laughing more. Branch smirked before his eyes went to Poppy. "You better start running sunshine." His voice low as he spoke.

Poppy gasped before she took off running as Branch quickly followed. Poppy circled the table, staying on the opposite side as she panted in excitement getting ready to bolt in either direction. "You have a little something." She motioned to his whole face. "There." She laughed.

"Just wait till I catch you." He warned, a smirk on his face.

"Catch me if you can, sweetheart." She winked and blew him a kiss. She heard him let out a small growl in frustration as she took off to the living room and circled the couch. Poppy laughed, running from him before she stopped when she couldn't see him. Poppy looked around on either side of the couch, then at Rose who was eating cupcakes. "Don't eat too much Rose." Poppy said, before she started squealing when she felt arms going around her. "Wait! Where did you go?!" She tried to escape his grasp but couldn't.

Branch smirked, kissing her cheek causing the icing to smear on Poppys cheek. Poppy giggled as Branch led her to the kitchen, seeing Rose eating a cupcake. "Is the cupcake good?" He asked, seeing her nod as she ate. He looked down to see two other cupcakes had disappeared. "How many have you had?" He asked, seeing her hold two fingers. "So that's your third one? How about we stop at three?" He said, still holding onto Poppy.

Rose pouted, and finished her cupcake. Branch looked at her as he let go of Poppy, and went back to decorating the rest of the cupcakes. Poppy stared at him, still slightly cautious on why he let her go so easily. She went back to decorating as well, keeping an eye on Branch as she worked. They soon finished and Branch went to the bathroom to clean his face. Poppy looked at Rose. "I think I got off easy. Why is that?" She questioned, looking back in the direction Branch went off in. Rose looked at her confused, before she licked icing off her fingers.

Branch came back a few minutes late with a clean face and a cloth. He handed the cloth to Rose. "Here, clean off while we put these away." He said as he started moving the dirty dishes to the sink.

Poppy watched his every move, still cautious. "Why haven't you gotten back at me yet?" She asked.

Branch looked at her, before giving her a loving smile. "Why do I need to get back at you? Because of a cupcake to the face?" He chuckled. "It is as you say, right? Making peace with hugs?" He raised his arms for a hug.

Poppy stared at him for a minute, before pouting. "You're lucky I can't say no to a hug." She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly, snuggling into his chest as he hugged her back. Poppy smiled as she pulled back a minute later. "So we're at a truce! Good!" She smiled as she headed to the bathroom.

Branch watched her go around the corner and quickly grabbed Rose. "I never agreed to a truce." He whispered to Rose as he quickly hid in Rose's room. "I taped the faucet so it will splash at her." He explained. Not a minute later Rose heard Poppy scream from the bathroom, causing her to gasp.

"Branch! Just wait till I get you!" Poppy's voice boomed in the bunker, causing Rose to quickly hide under the bed. Branch was laying next to the bed, a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Footsteps could be heard walking around the bunker as Poppy searches for Branch. "Come out Branch! Look what you did to me! You couldn't have gotten far!" Poppy's voice came, as the door to the room opened.

Branch held a finger to his lips, keeping quiet before he saw Poppy's foot tapping in front of him. Branch felt some water dripping on him as he looked up. He grinned up at her. "Oh, I didn't know you were going to shower sunshine. It's better to do that without clothes though." He said matter of factly.

Poppy glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at him. "What happened to the truce! We hugged it out!" She exclaimed.

"I did that before the hug. I never agreed to the truce, that was your idea." He winked at her, standing up. "You got a little something." He motioned to the told half of her body. "There." He smirked causing Poppy to lunge towards him. Branch didn't move, laughing as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so getting you back for this." She pressed her body against his, getting his vest wet.

He shrugged. "It's just water, it's not like it's a cupcake to the face. I still only smell chocolate." He said, hearing a small giggled from her that she tried to hide.

Poppy smiled for a moment before going back to her frown. She couldn't help but looked down at the wet dress and laugh. "I guess you got me back, could have been better though." She took a step back and crossed her arms again. "Where's Rose?" She looked around as Branch pointed to the bed. Poppy looked under the bed, seeing Rose pointing to her. "Did you know about this?" She pointed to her wet hair. Rose slowly nodded, crawling out behind Branch.

"I told her when you went to the bathroom." He picked Rose up, holding her on his hip. "I think it's funny. What about you Rose, was it funny?" He saw Rose shrug before nodding. "What? You think that was weak too?" She gave a small nod, causing him to frown. "Oh come on, she is soaked! It's funny!" He said, motioned to Poppy who shrugged.

"I can just change and I'm fine. I thought I taught you better, Branch." She shook her head, smiling as she left the room.

Branch followed her, curious. "Where are you going? And you don't have any extra clothes." He said, seeing her go to his room. "Why are you going to my room." He followed Poppy as she kept quiet. "Poppy?" He saw her start going through his dresses, before she stood up straight and started undoing her dress. Branch froze, his eyes wide before he quickly covered Roses eyes and spun around. "Poppy! W-What are you doing?!" He stuttered, his face bright red with blush.

"I said I needed to change. You're the one who followed." She said, a smirking on her face as she changed. She looked over to see his back, and grinned knowing she won. She quickly changed into one of his vests and grabbed his Robe that hung on the wall beside her, hanging her wet dress to dry. Once she had it on she took a step towards him, seeing his ears were very dark in colour. She grinned as she quickly took a step in front of him, seeing his eyes were close and a hand covering Roses eyes. "I'm done now." She said, seeing him open one eye and look her over.

"You could have said something." He muttered, swallowing as he looked at her, his face still dark from his embarrassment.

She grinned. "That wouldn't have been fun." She winked before she headed back to the living room.

Branch let out a sigh he didn't realize he was holding in. "What am i going to do with her?" He whispered before looking at Rose who looked at him confused. "She is just crazy. That's all." He smiled as he started going to the living room where Poppy was sitting on the couch. Branch placed Rose in the ground as she went to the table in front of the couch and started drawing.

Poppy looked up at Branch and held her hand out. Branch took her hand, kissing it softly as he looked at her confused for a moment. Poppy smiled up at him. "Every time I hold my hand out to you, you kiss it. You're so sweet." She brought his hand down and kissed his knuckles as he blushed slightly.

"We're at a truce now, right?" He leaned against the side of the couch, looking down at her as she nodded. "Good. I don't want to have to be on edge." He leaned down and kissed her softly for a moment before he went and sat on the couch next to her, leaning his back on the couch as he closed his eyes.

Poppy leaned against him, seeing how tired he was. "You should take a nap, you look tired. I can cook dinner for us when you get up." Poppy smiled at him.

Branch opened his eyes and smiled back at her as he shook his head. "If I sleep now I probably won't sleep tonight, and since she had a nice nap earlier I don't think she will sleep early tonight." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"All the more reason you should nap. You look exhausted, and I'm here to watch her." She placed a hand on his chest, tracing heart shapes on it.

He let out a small sigh, closing his eyes again. "I guess a small nap wouldn't hurt." He felt Poppy move off the couch. He laid down on the couch, opening one eye to see Poppy with Rose. He yawned as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Poppy smiled as she watched Rose draw for a bit, seeing Branch had fallen asleep quickly. "Hey, how about I read you a story?" She smiled, seeing Rose's ears perked up at the word story. Rose nodded, turning to her as she waited. Poppy smiled and picked her up and went to the chair next to the couch, Rose sitting on her lap. "How about I tell you the story about how the trolls and the Bergen's became friends? I'm sure you heard it, and you would have been a hatching when it happened, but I want to tell you about how Branch and I got through it." Poppy saw Rose's interest peaked at Branch's name, causing her to smile more.

As poppy told her story and how Branch acted at first, Rose started writing causing Poppy to stop her story and see what she wrote. 'Not hear this story, not this part.' She showed Poppy, who nodded. "Branch tried his best to put his past behind him, but I think it's good for you to know how Branch changed, how he changed in front of my eyes. I only put the major parts in the history scrapbooks, but I have my own scrapbook at my house with all of this. Tomorrow we can go see them, and I can show you." She smiled as Rose perked up, nodded as she wanted to hear more. Poppy continued to talk about how she didn't listen to Branch, and how he saved her from spiders. Poppy watched as Rose's eyes lit up when Poppy spoke about their interactions, seeing how she was excited about Branch's poems, and how they did what they could to save everyone. Rose's ears dropped slightly when Poppy got to where everyone turned grey. "When I heard Branch singing for the first time, I didn't believe it. I even rejected the hug he tried to give. It didn't feel real. I finally realized he was singing, after twenty years of being grey. It gave me hope." She said, smiling as Rose stared at her in awe. "When I started singing and saw his true colours, I couldn't help but think no matter what happiness is in everyone. Sometimes you need someone to help you find it." She grinned, thinking of the memory.

Rose listened, yawning as she did her best to stay awake. She felt Poppy slowly move her so she was laying down in her arms. Poppy smiled as she continued her story, seeing her fall asleep at the end. Poppy slowly stood up and brought her to the room Branch set up for her. She set Rose down on her bed and her binder on the side table, smiling as Rose snuggled under the blankets. Poppy watched her for a moment before she slowly left the room and went to the living room to see Branch was still asleep. Poppy smiled and sat on the end of the couch, seeing Branch not wake up. She took a moment before she slowly crawled on top of him, wrapping an around his chest as she hugged him as her other hand gently ran through his hair. She looked at his face, seeing him stir slightly and moan her name softly. She grinned when she heard it and rested her head on his chest. She felt his arm wrap around her, causing her to cuddle into him. She grinned more as she yawned, snuggling into him as she fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends!
> 
> Broppy fluff warning! Well, it may be a bit more than fluff if you know what I mean. This chapter was a lot of fun writing! I've never written a fanfic before, let alone the fluff, and I love it. I've been waiting for a long while to write a chapter with more broppy in it, so when the opportunity came I had to take it!
> 
> I think I should let you know where I think their relationship is at this point. I think Branch loves to hug and cuddle Poppy, wanting to make up for all the years he pushed her away, but he would have been very nervous at first, and even though he loves to hug and hold her now, he is still nervous about further. Same goes for Poppy, she is not wanting to push Branch and is understanding about taking it slow. She also wants to talk to him about something before they go further as well. Hopefully I can get to that soon!
> 
> The song is lullaby for a stormy night by Vienna Teng.
> 
> I hope you like this chapter like I do! I don't own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Branch laid on the couch with an arm resting behind his head, using it as a pillow as his other arm was around the pink beauty that laid on his chest as he slept. Poppy snuggled her head under his chin as she slept, her arms around his chest tightening as she kept him close. A sudden scream caused Branch and Poppy to jolt awake. They looked at each other before Poppy quickly got up and ran to Rose's room, Branch on her tail as they could hear Rose screaming more. Branch quickly went to Rose's side. "Hey, you're okay. You're okay Rose." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, seeing her eyes open wide in shock. "Hey twig. You're okay now. You're safe." He gently scooped her up in his arms, holding her close against him.

Rose shook as she gripped onto his vest, tears spilling out her eyes. Poppy sat down next to them, placing a hand on Roses back to try and help calm her. "Rose, we're here. It's okay." Poppy gently rubbed her back as Rose opened her eyes, looking between them. "Did you have another nightmare?" She saw Rose nod, burying her head in Branch's chest.

"It's just a dream. Nothing will hurt you." Branch assured her, rocking her gently in his arms as she slowly relaxed. He looked up from Rose to look at the time. "It's already midnight, so it seems we slept for a while. Are you hungry?" He looked down at Rose, who thought for a moment before slowly nodded. "Let's get a late snack then." He stood up along with Poppy. He made his way to the kitchen, still holding her as Poppy handed Branch the binder. "Is there anything you want to eat?"

Rose shrugged, before she looked at Poppy and held her hand like she was holding a cup and brought it to her mouth. Poppy took a moment to realize what she meant. "Oh, watermelon juice! That sounds good." She smiled and went to get two cups before she looked at Branch. "Do you want one too?" She saw him nod and grabbed a third glass. She went to the fridge and poured them each a glass and handed them each one. Rose took a sip, before resting her head on Branch's shoulder.

"Feel better twig?" Branch asked her softly, placing his cup on the counter before he slowly placed her on the counter as well. He saw her nod slowly as she took another sip. "You two really like that juice. I guess I will have to make another batch tomorrow." He smiled softly as Poppy grinned.

"It's so good!" She drank her cup quickly, and refilled it. "You have to give me the recipe." She said excitedly.

He chuckled at her excitement, shaking his head. "Maybe another time." He winked at her before yawning again. "So, what do you want to eat? I have berries, or I can make something quick?"

Poppy pouted slightly before she looked at Rose who shrugged. "Why don't you two go sit on the couch and I'll cook you something quick?" Poppy smiled.

Branch looked at her. "Are you sure? I can-"

"I said I was going to cook breakfast but you ended up cooking it. This time I'm cooking. You're acting like I'm a bad cook." She pushed him out of the kitchen.

"I'm not acting like you're a bad cook. You had your hands full." Branch turned to face her but was handed Rose before he could say anything else.

"Now your hands are full." She smiled sweetly at him.

Branch stared at her before sighing. "Alright you win. You always win." He chuckled as he headed towards the couch with Rose.

"Of course I always win!" She called back as she started putting together ingredients she found in the kitchen.

"Are you still tired? Do you want to try and sleep after we eat?" He asked her, causing her to grip his vest tightly. "It's okay Rose. We will see how you feel after you eat." He felt her rub her head against his shoulder. He gently placed a hand on her back, feeling her relax under his hand.

Poppy glanced at the couch, smiling as she stared at the mixture she made. She set it down and walked over to them, leaning against the back of the couch. "What kind of fruit do you want Rose? Do you have a couple favorites?" Poppy asked, seeing her pull up her binder so she could write.

Branch leaned his head back to look at her as Rose wrote. "By the way, were you laying on me when we woke up?" He raised an eyebrow as he saw her blush.

"So what if I was?" She questioned, placing both her hands on his cheeks.

"I was just wondering why?" He asked innocently.

Poppy grinned, giggling slightly as his answer. "Because you're so cuddly and warm! Why would I not want to? You're such a soft cuddle bunny." She cooed him happily in a baby voice, grinning as she saw him frown. She quickly kissed him before she looked at Rose who wrote a couple fruits she liked. "Great! It shouldn't be long now." She smiled before skipping back to the kitchen.

"Not a cuddle bunny." Branch frowned, muttering as he watched her, before looking at Rose who was nodding. "What? You too? Oh come on, don't agree with her!" Branch frowned more as he heard Poppy giggle from the kitchen when she heard him.

"Told you." She sang as she started cutting strawberries, bananas, blueberries and raspberries.

After fifteen minutes Poppy came back with two plates of crepes with cream cheese filling and a fruit medley. "Here you are! I hope you like them." Poppy smiled as she saw both of them perk up at the sight of the food.

"This looks really good Poppy." Branch compliments, smiling as he placed Rose on the couch next to him and took a bite of his crepe. He smiled as he swallowed the food as he saw Poppy sitting down next to him with her crepe in hand. "This is amazing, the filling is very good." He smiled as he ate more. Poppy grinned as she watched them eat, seeing Rose having finished half of hers.

"I'm glad you two like it." She grinned as she ate her crepe. It wasn't long till the plates were empty and they relaxed on the couch in silence. A loud boom caused Rose to jump in her seat, looking around.

Branch placed a hand on hers. "Stay calm, it's just thunder. I have the air vents open, let me go close them." He said, standing up as Rose gripped his hand tightly, shaking. "Hey, it's okay. If I close the vents you won't hear the thunder." He saw Rose shaking, her eyes pleading up at him full of tears. He glanced at Poppy before he knelt down to Roses level. "Poppy is here, I will only be five minutes. You stay right here, okay? I know you're scared, but it will be okay." Another sudden thunderclap came, causing Rose to jolt in shock. As a tear ran down her cheek Branch scooped her up and held her close. "Okay, okay. It's okay." He whispered to her, holding her close.

"Why don't we all go?" Poppy placed a hand on his shoulder, seeing him nod in agreement. "Where do we need to go?"

"Go to the elevator." He said, standing up as Poppy headed to the elevator with him. He pulled the lever and they headed up to the first floor. Another thunderclap came, louder than before as the were getting closer to the surface. Branch held Rose closer as he felt her shake more. "There's another lever here that will close all the vents, so it makes this place pretty soundproof." He said, stopping the elevator and walked down a hallway full of jars of food. He stopped at a small room and walked in, and pulled the lever causing the air vents to close. "There. I told you it would only take a couple minutes." He looked down to see Rose still clinging to him. "Why don't we go back downstairs? You can relax there." He led Poppy back to the elevator.

Poppy followed him, looking at his inventory as they got to the elevator. "How is the inventory coming?" Poppy asked as they went down to the main area.

Branch shrugged. "I need to gather more food supplies for the cold season ahead." He looked through the halls as they passed. "It's not too bad though. I have extra if others don't have any during the winter." He said as they came to a stop.

Poppy grinned. "That's very nice of you Branch, if others need help I know just the trolls to come to." She quickly pecked his cheek before she went and picked up the plates they left by the couch.

Rose slowly looked around, her grip on Branch's vest still tight as she waited for the thunder to come. "Do you feel better Twig?" He asked, seeing her shake her head.

"What about a song? I used to hate storms, and my dad would always sing to me." Poppy said as she walked towards them. "Come here Rose." Poppy smiled, reaching for her. Rose slowly let go of Branch's vest and reached for her, causing Branch to place her in Poppys arms. Poppy smiled and held her close, having her rest her head on her chest as she cradled her so Rose could hear her heartbeat. "Let's go sit on the couch." She told Branch, who followed. Poppy stood in front of the couch, nudging her head towards the couch as she motioned to Branch to sit down first.

Branch sat down first, and immediately had Poppy leaning against his side. "What are you doing? I thought you were going to sing?" He placed an arm around her waist.

"I will, I have to get comfy first." She wiggles herself into his side more, smiling as she let out a satisfied sigh. "There. Now, this song is one my dad would sing whenever there was a bad storm. It always helped me, so I hope it helps you." Poppy smiled down at Rose before she opened her mouth and started singing.

Little child  
Be not afraid  
The rain pounds harsh against the glass  
Like an unwanted stranger  
There is no danger  
I am here tonight

As Poppy sang to her, Branch and Rose couldn't take their eyes off her. Poppys eyes were closed as she sang, but she could feel Rose relax under her touch, feeling her head rest on her chest.

Little child  
Be not afraid  
Though thunder explodes  
And lightning flash  
Illuminates your tearstained face  
I am here tonight

Branch slowly rested his head against Poppy's, his eyes closing as Poppy continued to sing.

And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land  
On forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you'll see  
In the morning

Rose's hand slowly relaxed, loosening her tight grip on Poppy as she relaxed more. Poppy smiled as she sang, opening her eyes to see Roses were now closed.

Little child  
Be not afraid  
The storm clouds mask your beloved moon  
And its candlelight beams  
Still keep pleasant dreams  
I am here tonight

Little child  
Be not afraid  
Though wind makes creatures of our trees  
And their branches to hands  
They're not real, understand  
And I am here tonight

And someday you'll know  
That nature is so  
This same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land  
On forest and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning

Poppy felt Rose let out a small yawn, her grip on Poppy's dress was tight as she heard a small bang from outside but it was much quieter then the first time she heard it.

For you know, once even I  
Was a little child  
And I was afraid  
But a gentle someone always came  
To dry all my tears  
Trade sweet sleep for fears  
And to give a kiss goodnight

Well, now I am grown  
And these years have shown  
That rain's a part of how life goes  
But it's dark and it's late  
So I'll hold you and wait  
'Til your frightened eyes do close

As Rose started to drift off to sleep, Branch's voice started to mix with Poppy as he joined her.

And I hope that you'll know  
That nature is so  
The same rain that draws you near me  
Falls on rivers and land  
And forests and sand  
Makes the beautiful world that you see  
In the morning

Rose had fallen asleep as the song came to the end. Poppy looked up at Branch and smiled, seeing him smile back at her as they finished the song.

Everything's fine in the morning  
The rain will be gone in the morning  
But I'll still be here in the morning

Branch looked down at Rose, seeing her relaxed as she slept. "That song really worked. It was beautiful." He kissed her cheek softly before resting his chin oh her shoulder, their cheeks pressed against one another's.

Poppy smiled, rubbing her cheek against his. "I'm glad it helped her." She kept Rose close as she closed her eyes.

"So, I'm guessing you're staying over for the night since it's storming out? And the party is probably cancelled because of the weather." He glanced at her.

She glanced back at him, her cheeks becoming slightly darker. "What? You don't want me to stay?" A sly smirk crawling onto her lips.

"What? No, that's not what I meant." He said slightly panicked that he offended her as he couldn't see her smirk. He moved his head down so he could kiss her shoulder. "I mean, this would be the first time you slept over, since we got together. And Rose has my spare bed so there's only one bed. I'll sleep on the couch, but you can't go snooping through my room."

Poppy giggled as she heard the nervousness in his voice. "You're so cute when you're nervous." She kissed his cheek before she stood up. "I'm going to put Rose in her room, I'll be right back." She winked at him as she stood up and walked down the hall, her hips away as she walked.

Branch could keep his eyes off her, blush slowly rising to the tips of his ears. He covered his face with his hands and let out a small groan. "What you do to me without even trying." He muttered to himself, fully laying on the couch.

Poppy soon walked back to the living room, seeing Beach laying on the couch with his hands covering his eyes. She walked over as she saw his ear twitch, and sat on the edge of the couch next to him. "You okay Branch?" She asked.

Branch moved his hands to prop himself up, looking at her. "Yeah, I'm fine." He felt Poppy move closer to him, her legs going around his waist as she settled on his lap. Branch moved his hand onto hers, giving them a gentle squeeze before his hands traveled up her arms, feeling her shiver at his light touch. He heard her giggled, smiling more as he placed his hands on her cheeks as he placed his forehead against hers.

Poppy blushed slightly, staring into his beautiful blue eyes. She placed her hands on his, copying his actions as her hands traveled along his arms to his cheeks. She could feel Branch's cheek heat up under her palms, but she could see his eyes sparkle as they pierced hers. Poppy felt the heat from his hot breath against her lips,licking her lips slightly as she leaned towards him. She could feel a strange sensation in her lower gut, enjoying the feeling of warmth. She pressed her lips against his, leaning into him causing him to lay back down with her on top of him. Once she felt her lips couch his, it was like a fire erupted in her stomach as she pressed her lips harder against his.

Branch pulled her face closer against his as he fell back onto the couch. He slowly moved one of his hands to her to her waist, the other slowly running through her hair. He felt Poppys hand caressing through his hair in return, her other hand on his chest as he pulled her closer. He felt her pulled back ever so slightly so they could catch their breath, before he took her lips again. He felt her body pressing against him, his hand on her back pulling her closer against him as he tugged at the belt of the robe. He could feel his chest pounding under her hand as it traveled into his vest, the heat from her hand was something he never felt before and he loved the feeling of her fingers on his skin. He didn't want to stop. He wanted to never stop, but he knew neither of them weren't ready to go farther but his hands couldn't stop.

Poppys hand gently pressed against his chest as their kiss heated, her other hand gripped his hair gently causing Branch's mouth to open enough for her tongue to enter. She heard a soft moan when she tugged his hair, the corner of her lips lifting as they fought against Branch's. She felt the hand that was in her hair move down her back to join his other hand in tugging at the belt. She knew if he took the robe off there was no stopping them from going farther than they have ever gone before, but she was enjoying the moment so much she didn't want it to stop. She felt the belt around her loosen as it came undone, but felt Branch's hands go back to her waist and gave her an assuring squeeze. She knew he wasn't ready either, but they both wanted to go farther. She felt him pulling her closer as his hands slowly went up her sides to her face, cupping her cheeks again as they both pulled back for air.

They both panted, staring into each other's eyes as Branch's thumb gently rubbed her cheeks. "I love you." They both spoke at the same time, causing them both to grin widely and let out a small chuckle.

Poppys hand slowly went from his hair down to his ear, causing him to shiver under her touch as her fingers gently outlined his ear. "I love your ears." She hummed as she leaned her head onto his chest, hearing his heart beating rapidly. She could feel him holding his breath for a second when she spoke. She giggled, nuzzling her face into his chest happily before she slowly moved up to his shoulder. She pressed her cheek against his shoulder as she glanced up at Branch, seeing his eyes closed as he placed his cheek against her head. "We should go to sleep." She suggested, snuggling into him more.

He kept his eyes closed as he hummed in responses. It took him a moment to open his eyes as he cheeks darker. "My bed isn't that big, and if Rose wakes up I don't want to wake you up." He started, seeing Poppys face rose from his shoulder and gave him a small frown.

Poppy lifted herself up with her arms, towering over him. "If you aren't comfortable with it yet, then I can sleep on the couch. I'm not taking your bed from you." She said sternly. "You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, just let me know and I can stop." She pushed herself up and sat on the couch.

Branch sat up, frowning slightly when he saw Poppy looking away from him as she fixed her robe. "Nothing you did made me uncomfortable Poppy." He tilted his head slightly to try to see her face better, holding his arms out towards her. "Come here, my love." Poppy glanced over at him, and scooted closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her and brought her back onto his lap. "I love you, and I very much enjoyed what we just did." He placed his forehead against the side of her head, nuzzling her gently as he saw the corner of her lips lift.

In one swift motioned Branch stood up, lifting Poppy in his arms as Poppy let out a squeal. She quickly wrapped her arms and legs around him. "Branch! What are you doing?" She laughed as she buried her face in his hair.

"I'm taking you to bed. You're tired, right?" He started walking to his room, feeling Poppys legs tighten around his waist as he carried her. "I'm nervous, and I will always be a little nervous. But I know one thing for sure, that I will never be embarrassed by anything you do. Unless we're in public and things get out of control..." He started trailing off, his face getting darker by the second. Branch stopped talking when he heard Poppy giggle.

"Oh you're so cute when you're blushing." She cupped his face in her hands as she felt the heat on her palms. She saw Branch's eyes avoid hers, causing her to smile and claim his lips. She tightened her legs around him as she melted into him.

Branch held onto her tighter, a hand on her back and one under her to keep her up as he kissed her back. He could feel one of her hands traveling to the back of his head to bring him closer to her, feeling her other hand down to his shoulder. He walked into his room and placed her on his bed, hovering over her as they parted slightly for air. "I thought you wanted to sleep, sunshine?"

Poppy could feel his hot breath on her lips, smiling as she saw him smirk. "You are such a tease." She whispered back, her hands running through his hair. "It is getting late though, and tomorrow is going to be a hard one." She kissed him once more, her hands going back to his cheeks as she held him.

He pulled back after a minute, staring down at her with loving eyes. He looked into her eyes and saw them shine, full of love. He placed his forehead against hers, smiling before he stood up. "I'm going to check on Rose before I get ready. Is there anything you want or need before you sleep?"

She thought for a moment. "I am comfy in your vest and robe, but do you have anything else?" She asked, propping herself up by her elbows as she watched him walk around his room.

Branch went to his dresser and grabbed some pajamas for her to wear as well as himself and handed her a pair. "Is there anything else?" He asked, seeing her shake her head. "Alright. You change and I'll be back in a couple of minutes." He kissed her cheek before he left the room and went to the bathroom to change. Once he changed he quietly checked on Rose, seeing her still asleep and went back to his room. He knocked on the door, hearing her voice saying to come in. He saw Poppy standing in front of the bed, his shirt a bit too large for her but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Poppy turned around and smiled at him, taking the hair band out of her hair. Branch smiled back at her, walking over to her. "So, um, how?" He asked, blush rising to his face as he looked at her. They had never shared a bed before, he was nervous and didn't want to ruin anything.

Poppy looked at him, blushing slightly as she smiled. "Just lay down." She said, patting the bed as she watched Branch slowly lay on the bed. She waited for him to get comfortable before she started to crawl on top of him. She happily wrapped her arms around him as she buried her face in his chest, snuggling into him as she listened to his heartbeat. "Is this okay?" She asked as she felt his arms going around her.

He buried his face in her hair, smiling as he held her close. "This is perfect...but maybe next time I'm out I should get a bigger bed." He said, hearing her giggle as he grinned more.

She grinned, lifting her head to kiss him softly. "I love you Branch."

"And I love you, Queen Poppy." He gently rested his cheek on her head as they fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello troll fans!  
> I wanted to start by saying I’m officially back to work from the covid lock down, but I am still hoping to keep updating weekly but it may lag a bit with updating.  
> This chapter does contain the funeral. I’m lucky to have never been to a funeral yet, so I’m not quite sure how everything goes. I was supposed to attend one but because of covid I couldn’t travel to it.  
> I hope you enjoy reading this one. I love reading your comments so much! I don’t own trolls but Rose is my OC.

The night was rough. This was the fifth time Rose woke up screaming and crying. Branch and Poppy immediately went to see if she was okay every time, and they would stay with her until she fell asleep. Branch looked at Poppy who was mid yawn. “You go back to sleep, I’m going to stay with her for a while.” Branch whispered to her as Rose had fallen asleep for the fifth time that night.

She shook her head, wrapping her arms lazily around his shoulders. “I’m okay, I don’t mind staying up.” She looked at him.

“Tomorrow is going to be a big day, and you will be giving a speech at the funeral. You should go back to sleep.” He tilted his head and gave her a soft kiss. “And you know,” He started, the corner of his lips lifting into a smile. “I love waking up to see your beautiful face.” He chuckled when her face turned bright red. 

She buried her face in his shoulder, smiling as she blushed. “Fine, I’ll go back to bed.” She muttered into his shoulder before she lifted her head to look at him. “And you know.” She started grinning. “I guess this means I will be staying over more, because I love waking up to your handsome face as well.” She quickly pecked his blushing cheek as she stood up and walked out of the room, knowing Branch was watching her leave.

Branch let out a soft chuckle as he watched her, before looking back at Rose. He rested his head on his hand, letting out a yawn as he held Rose's hand.

Poppy yawned, walking up a few hours later. She looked around confused as she didn’t see Branch. She looked at her hug bracelet, seeing it hadn’t gone off yet so it was still early morning. She moved to the edge of the bed, yawning again as she stretched before she stood up and grinned. She could feel her chest flutter as she thought of her first night staying with Branch, even if he wasn’t there at the moment. She went to the kitchen to see it was about seven thirty in the morning, around normal time she would wake up. She noticed Branchs wasn’t in the kitchen, asn’t on yet, which is odd for him since he’s normally up around seven thirty for his coffee before the morning song. 

She glanced around, still not seeing any sign of him or Rose. She thought for a moment before she quietly opened Roses door. Poppy froze at what she saw, a hand going over her mouth to keep herself quiet. She found Branch still in Roses room, asleep on the chair next to her with his head laying on the bed. She took a step inside and leaned in to see Rose had moved so her head was laying on Branchs hand, holding his hand like it was her toy. Poppy couldn’t help but smile at them, before she quickly and quietly went around looking for a camera so she could show them later. 

Once she had her photos she wanted, she went back to the kitchen to start making breakfasts. She didn’t have the heart to wake them, they both needed as much sleep as they could get. As Poppy started prepping what she needed, she started humming a soft tune. Her soft tune soon became singing as she moved around the kitchen. She almost jumped out of her skin when a second voice joined her. She turned to see Branch smiling at her, a sleepy Rose in his arms as he walked towards the table. He placed Rose in her chair before he walked into the kitchen. “Did my singing wake you up?” She asked, grinning at him.

He shook his head. “Your singing is the best thing to wake up to.” He started walking towards her, lifting his arms towards her.

Poppy quickly jumped into his arms, her legs going around his waist as her arms wrapped around his neck. She grinned as she held him, loving the feeling of having him in her arms. “Good morning Branch.” She kissed him passionately.

Branch placed an arm under her, the other going around her back to keep her close as he kissed her back. “Good morning Poppy.” He buried his face in her neck, smiling as he held her. 

She giggled, slowly unwrapping herself around him as she nuzzled his cheek. “I have your coffee ready, and I started making breakfast if you’re hungry.” She said before going to Rose, seeing her falling asleep in the chair Branch placed her in. “Good morning Rose. Do you want some juice?” She giggled when Rose sleepily nodded, her eyes still closed. 

“Would you like some help?” He asked, seeing her getting two cups and a mug and started getting everyone’s drinks. 

Poppy handed him his coffee once she had it prepared. “How about you get the table ready?” She kissed his cheek before placing Roses cup in front of her and went back to the kitchen to start cooking.

Branch took a sip of his coffee before starting to set the table, glancing over Poppys shoulder to see what she was cooking. “Are those the crepes from last night?” He asked, seeing her nod. “I can’t wait. They were very good.” He smiled, before going and sitting next to Rose who had her head on the table.

Poppy soon finished, walking over with two plates. “Here Rose.” She placed the plate next to the child, smiling as she saw her head rise and look at the food. Poppy placed Branchs plate in front of him.

Branch gave her a soft smile. “Thank you sunshine.” He saw her grin at the nickname and go back to get her own plate. Branch and Rose immediately started eating when she sat down, enjoying the warm meal in front of them as Poppy watched for a moment before digging into her own plate.

Once they finished eating Branch cleaned up while Poppy got herself ready for the day along with Rose. Rose let Poppy comb her hair as she brushed her teeth, looking at Poppy in the mirror. “Is something wrong Rose?” Poppy asked, looking down at her as she finished. She saw Rose look down, putting her toothbrush down. “Are you nervous? Or sad? Or both?” Poppy asked, putting the brush down as she saw Rose nod her head. “It isn’t till noon that we have to be there, but we will go early so you can see the place before everyone arrives.” Rose turned to Poppy nodding as Poppy kept talking. “I have a couple things to do before noon as well. Do you want to come with me? You can be my little helper!” Poppy smiled, seeing Rose's ears perk up as she nodded. Poppy gently moved Roses bangs out of her face, grinning when she saw Rose holding her arms up towards her. “Great! Then let’s go see if Branch is almost ready then.” She picked Rose up and hugged her, who hugged her back. 

Poppy walked out of the bathroom to see Branch setting a pack ready. Branch looked up at her and gave them a small smile. “Are you two ready, or do you want to leave later?” He asked.

“We’re ready. We even thought of a plan for the day.” Poppy smiled, seeing Branch starting to smirk.

“You? Plan?” He teased, seeing Poppy rolling her eyes.

“Oh shush Branch. We decided to go check out the funeral home before it gets crowded so she knows the area, then she is going to help me with a couple things before the ceremony starts.” Poppy explained, placing Rose on the floor. 

Branch nodded in approval. “That is a good plan. Nothing else you need before we go? I have snacks and drinks for if you need anything, am I forgetting anything?” He looked down at Rose, shook her head. “Alright, let’s go.” He gave Rose a smile before walking towards the elevator. He stood by the lever as Poppy stepped on, seeing Rose quickly grabbing onto his leg as they started to ascend to the surface.

Once they got to the surface Branch opened the side entrance for them, taking a step outside as Poppy followed. Poppy looked back to see Rose standing at the entrance, hesitant about stepping out. “Come on out Rose. It’s okay.” She smiled, holding a hand towards her. 

Rose waited a minute before taking her hand and slowly walked out. She covered her eyes with the shade from her hands as her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, looking around as she saw Branch was a few steps ahead of them. Rose quickly ran to Branch, grabbing his leg as she looked around nervously. Branch immediately stopped when he felt her hands on his leg, looking down at her. “You’re okay.” He leaned down and patted her head. “Come here.” He knelt down and picked her up, feeling her relax slightly in his arms. 

Poppy smiled, seeing Branch holding a Rose in one arm so she took his free hand in hers. She brought his hand to her lips, grinning as she saw blush going to the tip of his ears. “Let’s go.” She said as she started dragging Branch towards the village.

As they got into the village Rose buried her face in Branchs shoulder, seeing a lot of trolls staring at her as they walked by. Branch felt her hands grip his vest. “They may stare at first, but it won’t last long. Just ignore them.” Branch whispered in her ear, letting go of Poppy’s hand to place his hand on Roses back. 

Poppy looked over at Rose, seeing her nervousness. “We’re almost there. Just a little bit farther.” She assured Rose, pointing to a pod close by. Poppy led them to a grey pod, opening the door and walked in. Branch followed with Rose in his arms, as their colours faded as they walked through the door. Branch looked down at his dull blue hand, before placing Rose down gently. Poppy saw Rose staring at their dulled colours. “This is normal for this pod.” Poppy explained, seeing Branch staring at her. “This pod dulls the colour of trolls, to represent the sadness that everyone feels when we lose someone special. It helps others know that we understand what they are going through.” She saw Rose nod as she looked around the pod, seeing the pod was full of chairs with two caskets already at the other end of the room. “Go on, you can look around.” She said softly, seeing two large photos of Bea and Sterling next to the caskets.

Branch gently placed a hand on Roses back, seeing her staring at the photos. “We will be right here.” He said, standing by the door with Poppy.

Rose didn’t move. She stared at the photos for a few minutes, a tear coming to her eyes as she slowly headed towards the photos. Rose couldn’t take her eyes off the photos, tears falling down her cheek as she sat down between the caskets, holding her bear tightly in her hand. 

After fifteen minutes Branch and Poppy moved towards Rose, sitting in the front row of seats. Rose glanced at them, but stayed where she was for almost an hour. She slowly stood up and walked over to them,reaching her arm up towards them. Poppy picked her up, placing her on her lap. “Later on, we will be sitting right here. There will be a lot of people here, and I will have to go up and speak, but I will be right there.” She pointed to the mic that was off to the side. Poppy continues to explain everything she could to Rose about the funeral, hoping that if she knew what will happen she will be less nervous. “It’s ten now, so there’s two hours until it starts. I know you said you wanted to come with me to do a few things, do you still want to? You can stay here if you want.”

Rose looked up at her, before looking at the photos of her parents then back to Poppy. She opened her binder and started writing, turning it around to show Poppy once she was done. ‘Go.’ She then looked at Branch, showing him what she wrote. 

“Go? You want me to go?” He repeated, seeing her nod her head. “I was going to…” He stopped when he saw her eyes, they almost were pleading for him to stay with them. “Of course I’m going to come with you two.” He said, smiling as he saw Poppy smirking in the corner of his eye.

“Alright then, are you ready to go Rose?” She asked, ignoring Branchs look of confusion he was giving her. Rose nodded her head, holding onto Poppy as she felt her stand up. Poppy leaned towards Branch a she stood up, whispering in his ear so Rose couldn’t hear. “She has you wrapped around her finger.”

Branch looked at her, a small frown on his lips. “I am not.” He stood up as he followed Poppy to the door.

“You so are. It’s cute.” She grinned at him as she walked out of the pod. 

“I am not.” He said, catching up to her. “If anyone was, it’s you. You can’t stop holding her.” He smirked as he whispered to her, taking a few steps in front of her.

Poppy rolled her eyes as she continued to walk, before she headed into the center of town. “We’re going into town. Do you want to hide in one of our hair, or are you okay like this?” She asked, seeing Rose looking at her before placing her head on her shoulder. “Alright, you stay right there. Oh, You are such a sweetheart.” She grinned, holding Rose close as they got into the shopping section of the village. As they walked around, Rose could hear the whispers of other trolls as they watched her go by, her ears dropped before she moved her head from Poppys shoulder and pointed to her hair. “You want to go in my hair? Alright.” Poppy gave her a smile as she took her ponytail out and let Rose hide in her hair. An hour passed as Poppy finished what she needed to do, and decided to shop for items Rose may need as well as more food. As they looked around a small booth full of books caught Poppys eye. “How about we get some books!”

“Books? Is there a certain book you want?” Branch asked as they headed into the booth. Branch was glad hey we’re going to a smaller booth, he could hear the whispering from the over trolls as they walked by as well . He knew the staring and the whispers were getting to Rose, he could only hope that answering the letters will help. Once they were in the book shop Poppy took Rose out of her hair and knelt down so Rose could see more of the books. 

“There’s so many. I thought Rose would like some” Poppy smiled as Rose pulled a few out books from the shelf. “Oh I love this book.” Poppy pointed to the book in her hand. “I love the ending. Have you read Beauty and the Beast?” She saw Rose shake her head. “We will get it! It’s a sweet love story.” She said, looking through the other books along with Rose as they picked almost a dozen books.

“That is a lot of books.” Branch stated, staring at Roses arms that were full of children books and colouring books. 

“They will be fun to read to her! And the more the merrier, right?” Poppy grinned as she walked over to the sales troll in charge, feeling Rose sink into her as they got close to the troll.“Hey Nutmeg! How have you been? Any new books lately?” Poppy grinned at the green haired troll.

“Queen Poppy, what a pleasure seeing you! It’s been a while since you last visited. Of course there’s many new books, any kind you are interested in for yourself? And who is this with you?” She smiled, seeing all the children’s books. 

“This is Rose. She is very excited about the books! And surprise me this time.” She grinned as Nutmeg laughed before looking at Branch.

“Is there anything catching your eye Branch?” She asked, seeing him browsing.

Branch turned to them before shaking his head as he walked over. “Not today, just whatever they want.” He said as he pulled out his wallet.

“I’ll pay Branch, put your wallet away.” Poppy said, reaching for her wallet as well. 

“I got it.” He said, placing the money on the counter for Nutmeg. He saw Poppy pout as she put her money away.

“Oh yes, Queen Barb wanted me to give this to you Queen Poppy.” She placed a wrapped package in the bag. “She told me to tell you to open it when you’re alone.” She smiled as Poppy looked at it confused.

“Barb did? Oh that’s so nice of her! I wonder what it is.” Poppy looked at it excited as Branch took the bag of books. Poppy waved to Nutmeg as they headed out of the booth. “Thank you Nutmeg! See you later.” She saw Nutmeg wave back as they left the shop, and peered into the bag. “I wonder what it is. I’m guessing it’s a book, since it’s from the book store.” Poppy guessed.

“Why would she leave it with Nutmeg and not give it to you personally? And why open it alone?” Branched asked confused, looking at Poppy who shrugged.

“I guess I’ll find out later. We have everything we need right? I got what I need.” Poppy looked at him, seeing him nod. “Alright. It’s almost twelve, so we can go back and put this stuff in my pod before the event.” She said, heading to her pod with Branch close behind her.

When they got to her pod she placed Rose on the ground so she could explore. She smiled as she slowly wandered around, going on her toes as she tried to look at the shelves that were high above her head. Poppy took her new book out of the bag along with the package from Barb. She thought about opening it for a moment, but placed it down. She couldn’t wait, she had to know. She looked behind her to see Branch was watching Rose, so she took the moment to quietly open the package.

Once she saw the title, she almost dropped the book. Her face turned bright red as she stared at it. She quickly hid the book from Barb in a drawer, staring at the drawer still shocked. Why would Barb give her a book about how to pleasure a troll? She couldn’t help but blush more at the thought. She placed her hands over her cheeks trying to calm down. She definitely had to talk to Barb later. She glanced behind her to see Branch had lifted Rose up so she could get a better view of the photos Poppy had up. He was so sweet with Rose, would he be his sweet to their own children? Poppy froze at the thought. She didn’t think much of the thought of a family until now, she always wanted one since she was a trolling but she stopped thinking about that stuff once she became a teenager. She could feel a warmth growing in her lower belly, causing her to blush more. ‘Stop! I can’t think of that now! I still need to talk to him before I think about this stuff.’ She told herself, placing her hands over her face.

Poppy took a deep breath, hoping her cheeks weren’t as hot as they felt. She needed to calm herself down before she turned around, she knew Branch would ask questions if she was blushing. She waited another minute, looking through the books Rose picked out along with her book Nutmeg gave her. She read the back, nodding at the romance novel, it seems like a good read. “Alright. I think we’re ready.” She turned around, smiling. She looked to see Branch was close to the kitchen. “All the food is in the kitchen right? We can come back after and get the stuff to take back to the bunker.” She smiled.

Branch turned to her, seeing her face was a darker pink then normal. “Is something wrong? You’re looking a bit red.” He walked over to her, placing a hand on her forehead. 

She took his hand in hers before he could feel her forehead. “Yes! I’m fine. Let’s get going, or we will be late.” She started pulling him towards the door.

“If you say to.” He said, but was still skeptical about her answer. They continued up the tree to the grey pod and entered, seeing a couple of trolls already there.

Rose held onto Branch, glancing at the other trolls before her eyes became glued to the caskets. Branch gently patted her back, causing her to look at him as he gave her a reassuring smile. They walked to the front down and sat down, placing Rose on his lap so she could get comfortable. “We will stay right here, but Poppy will go up there and talk later.” Branch reminded her as more trolls started entering the pod.

A few trolls walked up to Rose, wishing their condolences like Poppy said. Rose couldn’t help but hide her face in Branchs vest, still nervous about the amount of trolls that entered the pod. “It will start soon Rose.” Poppy placed her hand on Roses, seeing the pod was almost full as the hug bracelets went off indicating it was twelve. Poppy wrapped an arm around Branchs shoulder, and gave Roses hand a gentle squeeze.

Poppy looked over at Branch. “Have you ever been to one?” She whispered to him, seeing him shake his head.

“Not attended one. I mean, I accidentally crashed one…” he muttered, looking down as his ears lowers. He really regretted that. He regretted a lot of things he has done in the past. He felt Poppys arm tighten around him as she leaned against him. 

“Yeah, Evergreen was not happy about the funeral. She did say it made her birthday and wedding entertaining. She was not happy the other time.” She saw his ears lower more. “But she forgave you! She is as happy as ever now! She still misses her husband of course, but still happy.” She gently nuzzled his cheek, bringing him closer to her as she held him as the ceremony started.

Rose felt numb. She heard them talking about how amazing her parents were and what they did for the village. She had tears in her eyes but she felt like she couldn’t cry anymore. She felt Poppy holding her hand, causing her to look at Poppy who was listening with a sad expression. She squeezed Poppys finger gently, causing Poppy to look over at her. Poppy gave her a soft smile. “I’m going up next. You stay right here with Branch, okay? I’ll be right there.” She whispered to Rose, who only squeezed her hand in returns. She felt Branch holding her gently, as she looked up at him she saw he kept an emotionless expression. She saw his eyes hold his emotions. His eyes read that he was sad, as well as he was lost in thought.

Rose stiffened when she felt Poppy let go of her hand. Rose reached for her but Poppy had already walked up to the podium to start talking. As Poppy spoke, she saw Rose edging towards her. Rose watched Poppy carefully as she spoke, before she slid off Branchs leg quickly and ran to her and hugged her leg. Rose hugged her leg tightly with her arm. Poppy stopped for a second and picked Rose up, holding her close as she continued to speak. 

Poppy saw the trolls staring at Rose, so she decided to cut her speech short. As she walked back to her seat, keeping Rose close to her as she sat down and another troll walked up. Another hour passed as trolls said their last goodbye and the caskets were buried outside of town. Rose had transferred to Branchs arms, tears flowing down her face as she threw a rose into each grave as trolls threw flowers as well.

Some trolls went home, as others went to a small celebration of life party that was being held close by. The trolls that stayed went to a purple pod where a bunch of food and drink were already prepared. Branch and Poppy stayed back with Rose a bit longer at the gravesites. “There's a little party going on close by. I’m sure some trolls will be telling stories about them. Do you want to stop by?” Poppy asked Rose after a couple of minutes of being alone. 

Branch looking around and saw the flower cart was still nearby. He went over and brought back two dozen roses and knelt down to Rose. “We can come back as often as you want.” He handed her a bouquet of roses for her to place on the grave. She slowly took it, and placed it over her mother’s grave and went back to Branch to take the other one to her father's grave. Once she placed them down she walked back over to Branch and held his arm tightly. 

Poppy stood there for a moment, feeling the wind getting stronger. She thought for a moment before kneeling down to Rose. “Hey Rose, remember what I said yesterday about they will always watch over you?” She saw Rose look up at her and nod slightly. “Close your eyes, and takes deep breath.” She said softly, seeing Rose close her eyes. She placed a hand on Branchs shoulder and pointed behind them, taking a step back herself as Branch followed. 

Rose stood there for a moment, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. She frowned as she opened her eyes, not feeling anything. A sudden gust of wind swayed her hair, causing her eyes to widen. The gust of wind died down after a few seconds, causing her to snap her head towards Poppy and run to her, jumping as she pointed to her hair. “You felt it, right?” Poppy picked her up, seeing Rose nod. “I told you, you may not be able to see them, but they will always be watching over you.” She smiled, feeling Rose leaning against her as she nodded. Another gust of wind came, brushing through their hair as Rose closed her eyes. 

Rose opened her eyes a minute later and pulled out her binder. She held it up for Poppy to see the word ‘go’ written on it. “You’re ready to go? Alright, let’s go.” She smiled as Rose rested her head back on her shoulder as they started towards the pod the celebration of life was being held at.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my troll fans!
> 
> Finally! Chapter 15 is here! I hope you like it! The next chapter is a struggle to write, but I’m hoping to have it out next week as planned!   
> I hope you enjoy reading this chapter! I don’t own trolls but Rose is my OC!

Once they arrived at the purple pod, Poppy opened the door to see the celebration of life party was in full swing. She could hear trolls talking to one another and others digging into the assorted food that was laid out. Poppy walked in with Rose in her arms, seeing the snack pack was here along with the other leaders and her father. She turned to Branch as he looked around. “Do you want to talk to anyone, or do you prefer to sit down?” She asked him, seeing he was a little nervous. 

He looked at her, giving her a soft smile. “I’m fine doing whatever.” He said as he felt Poppy take his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze as he squeezed her hand back. “Do you two want some food?” He looked over at the snack bar.

“I wouldn’t mind a drink.” Poppy smiled as Rose looked at the snacks on the table. “Why don’t you help Branch get some food?” She moved Rose into Branchs arms, seeing her father waving to her. “I’m going to go see my dad while you two gets the food, okay?” She told Rose, feeling her grip on her finger gently. “I’m just going to be over there. You will still see me, okay?” She smiled as she felt Rose let go of her hand. “Alright. I’ll be just over there.” She pointed to her fathers before heading to the other side of the pod. 

Rose watched her leave, frowning slightly as she looked up at Branch. “Come on, the sooner we get the snacks and drinks, the sooner we can go over there.” He walked over to the snack bar and picked up a plate. “What do you want to eat?” He picked a few things he knew Poppy would like as well as a few things Rose pointed to. “That’s enough food for now, what about drinks?” He brought her to the drinks and let her pick out what she wanted, and poured three cups of juice. He looked down at the three drinks and the plate, before looking at Rose in his arm. “Can you walk and carry your drink over to Poppy while I carry the other stuff?” 

Rose took out her binder and started writing. ‘Carry Poppy juice.’ Branch looked at it confused for a minute, before he smiled. 

“You want to bring Poppy her juice?” He saw her nod, her ears perking up. “Alright, just be careful.” He placed her on the floor and handed her a half filled cup of juice. “I’m going to be right behind you, but don’t go too fast okay?” He saw her nod as he picked up the plate and the other two juice cups. “You see where Poppy is? Let’s go.” He said when he saw her nod again and started walking towards where Poppy pointed earlier. Branch stayed close behind Rose as she weaved through the crowd, seeing her looking around for Poppy. “Little to the left and straight.” He instructed, seeing Roses ears perk up more when she saw Poppys pink legs. He saw Rose quickly speed up, almost running into another troll. “Slow down Rose. She isn’t going anywhere.” He said, seeing Rose look back at him before she continued walking to Poppy.

Poppy didn’t see Rose next to her as she continued to talk to her dad and the snack pack who joined her. Rose was at her feet, holding the cup up to her. Rose looked over to where Branch to see he was stuck behind some trolls who kept moving in his path. She waved her grey hair, trying to get her attention but her hair didn’t reach high enough. Her hair did catch the attention of Smidge. “Oh, Rose. There you are.” She said loud enough for Poppy to hear. 

Poppy looked down, seeing Rose nervously looking around as the others looked down as well. “Rose, when did you get here?” She saw Rose look up to her, holding the cup out to her. Poppy knelt down, seeing Rose holding the cup closer to her. “What juice did you get?” She asked, not realizing Rose had the cup for her. 

Rose kept pushing the cup to her, as Branch made his way to them. “She wanted to carry your cup.” Branch told her. 

Poppy looked up at Branch then back down at Rose. “That’s for me?” She smiled when Rose nodded. “Oh, that’s so sweet of you!” She took the cup from Rose and picked her up. “Thank you.” She grinned as she saw Rose blush slightly. Poppy took a drink, seeing Rose watching her. “This is very good. Did you pick it out?” 

Rose nodded, reaching towards Branch for her cup. Branch handed her a cup and held the plate of food towards them as well. “Anything you want?” He offered.

Poppy took some grapes, giving him a smile before she ate. Peppy walked over to him. “So you are here Branch, I figured you would be close by.”

“I was getting some food for them.” Branch said, looking over at him. 

“I did find some photos for you.” Peppy said as Branchs eyes widened. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to come, so I didn’t bring them. I can go get them now if you like.” 

“It can wait, we have to go back to Poppys pod after so maybe I could stop by then and get them.” Branch suggested, looking over at Rose who was shyly eating while Poppy talked to the others. 

“Alright. I will see you around then. I’m going to go talk to some of the others.” Peppy places a hand on his shoulder before walking away. 

“What photos was Peppy talking about Branch?” Biggie asked him, standing next to him with Mr Dinkles in hand.

“Oh, he said he found pictures of my parents.” He muttered under his breath, looking away slightly as he heard Biggie gasp along with Guy Diamond who was next to him.

“Your parents? Really?” Guy said, causing Branch to turn to him. “I’ve never heard you talk about them before.” 

“I didn’t know them. They died before I hatched.” Branch said before changing the subject. “Did you know them well? Bea and Sterling?” He asked them.

As they talked Rose listened while she ate, hearing a lot of different stories from the others. Rose looked around with a cookie on her mouth, but stopped when she saw an older troll staring at her. She sunk behind Poppy's shoulder, curling into a small ball in Poppys arms as she finished the cookie. Poppy looked down at Rose, gently rubbing her back to help sooth her. “Are you doing okay so far Rose?” She asked her softly, seeing Rose nod her head. “Do you want to go?” She saw Rose slowly shake her head. “Then, how about we go see Branch? He seemed to have gotten away from us.” 

Rose quickly looked around for him, gripping onto Poppy tightly as she searched. Poppy could feel her growing tense as she looked around, fear growing inside the tiny body she held. “Branch is over talking to the twins. He is still close by, see?” She moved so Rose was facing Branch who was a few trolls away from them. Rose reached for Branch, making a soft whimpering noise. 

Branchs ear twitched, hearing the small whimper from behind him and turned around. He saw Poppy starting to walk towards him with Rose in her arms, Roses little hand reaching towards him eagerly. “Sorry, one minute.” He told the twins he turned around. 

Poppy walked up to Branch, holding Rose towards him. Rose eagerly reached for him, latching onto him tightly when he held her. “Someone wasn’t happy when she didn’t see you.” Poppy smiled softly at Rose, who buried her face in Branchs shoulder.

“Hey twig, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you couldn’t see me.” He whispered to Rose, placing a hand on her back to help calm her.

“Sorry we interrupted you.” Poppy said as she turned to the twins, who smiled back at her. 

“Oh no problem! We were just finishing.” Satin said, her smile turning into a grin.

“We are actually about to go! We have a new project to start!” Chenille said excitedly.

Branch turned to them. “You don’t have to, I was-“ Branch started but was interrupted by the twins lifting their hands up to him.

“No way.” Chenille stopped him.

“We got this.” Satin said before they walked out of the pod, confusing Poppy.

“What was that about?” Poppy asked him, seeing him shift from one foot to the other.

“I asked them what a really soft but really durable material was, they started asking why and before I knew it they were going to make something.” Branch summarizes.

“Why do you want soft but durable material?” She asked him, raising an eyebrow. 

Branch looked away for a second before leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “A secret for Rose, I will tell you later.” He tried his best to make sure Rose didn’t hear him.

Poppy smiled, before holding up a finger. “Wrapped around her finger.” She said, causing Branch to frown. 

“Excuse me, Queen Poppy, Branch.” A voice came behind Poppy, causing them to jump. When Poppy turned around, she saw an older troll around her father's age. 

“Ms Maple! How are you today?” Poppy gave the honey coloured troll a hug.

“I’m doing well on this sad day. How about you children?” She asked, hugging her back as she looked at Branch and Rose

Poppy let go of the hug, smiling at her. “Things could be better, but good nonetheless. Have you met Branch yet? Branch, this is Ms Maple. She would watch me and the others while we were children.” She turned to Branch, seeing Rose was curled up into Branchs shoulder. “And this is Rose, she is Beas and Sterling's daughter. Branch is taking care of her.” She smiled, taking a step back so she was standing next to Branch and Rose.

“I have heard many things about you both.” Maple smiled at them. “It is nice to officially meet you two.” She looked at Rose, who looked away. “I knew your parents when they were younger. Did you know your mother didn’t like icing?” Her words caused Rose to glance at her. “When Bea was young, she would take the top of the cupcake and take it off with the icing and put it on her plate. Sterling would always go over and ask her if he could have the icing, and she always said he could have it. They became fast friends that way.” 

Rose lifted her head from Branchs shoulder, looking at her as she talked. “It started when they were five, but when they were fifteen I saw Bea eating then icing off a cupcake one day when Sterling wasn’t around. I told her I thought she didn’t like the icing, but she said she liked certain icing on cupcakes. She said if Sterling was there she would always take it off for him, because he loved icing. I thought it was the cutest thing.” Maple smiled at the memory, seeing Roses eyes on her.

“I remember that! I thought it was the sweetest thing to see, their relationship was one I always looked up to.” Poppy smiled, seeing Branch glance at her from the corner of her eye. She took his hand in hers, leaning onto his side.

Branch gave her a smile, squeezing her hand. He felt Roses hand tap his shoulder as she looked at Maple. He looked at her, before looking at Maple. “I think she wants to hear more, if you have any more stories about them.” Branch told Maple, seeing her smile. 

“I do have some more, if you would like to hear them.” Maple saw Rose nod. “Why don’t we sit down and I can tell you.” Maple turned and sat on a couch. Branch and Poppy sat next to her as Maple started telling Rose more stories about her parents. Rose listened to her stories, not taking her eyes off her as she held onto Branch. As Maple talked, the other trolls around them started listening to her stories and other trolls started telling their stories. Soon all the trolls were exchanging stories about the fallen couple. As Rose listened to the story, she moved into Branchs lap listening to all the stories.

As an hour passed trolls started leaving the pod, Rose let out a yawn as she snuggled into Branchs lap as Maple finished telling her last story. “It looks like someone’s ready for a nap.” She smiled down at Rose.

Branch picked her up and cradled her in his arms. “You ready to go now?” He asked her, seeing her shake her head. “You’re about to fall asleep.”

Rose shook her head again and sleepily reached for her binder and started writing. ‘Story.’ She showed him, standing on his lap so she could rest her head on his chest.

“I’m sure if you ask nicely, they will tell you stories another time.” Branch said, as Rose showed Maple the word story.

“I would be happy to tell you more stories Rose.” She said happily as she saw Rose smile slightly. The smile didn’t last long as it vanished when Rose let out another yawn before she reached up and pulled Branchs ear.

“Ow, don’t pull on my ear.” Branch said, feeling her trying to climb him. “Don’t pull on my-ow.” He frowned when Rose grabbed a fist full of hair as she tried to climb into it. Branch gently but quickly put her in his hair, rubbing his ear where she grabbed. He felt her move around in his hair as he stayed still, once she stopped moving he relaxed a bit. “Still weird to have her in my hair.” He muttered, hearing Poppy giggle. “Do you want to stay a bit longer?” He turned to Poppy.

“I’m ready to go if you are.” She saw him nod before she stood up and helped Maple stand up. “Thank you Ms Maple, for telling the stories. I know Rose really appreciates them. She was so happy listening to them.” Poppy smiled as she gave her another hug.

“Any child would love to hear stories about their parents. It’s such a tragic thing to happen to such a young child, but I’m sure she will be okay with you two looking after her.” She smiled at them, as let out a small chuckle when she saw their cheeks light up. “If she ever wants to hear more stories, you know where to find me Queen Poppy.” She smiled before making her way to the exit.

Poppy went around the pod, thanking those who told stories as well as others for attending before she went back to Branch. “Alright, I’m good to go now.” She smiled, taking his hand.

“I have to stop by your dad's pod first, unless you want to go somewhere before going to your place?” Branch said, looking at her as they headed towards the exit. 

“Not really anywhere in particular, we will see on the way.” She smiled as Branch rolled his eyes as he chuckled.

“Miss Popular can't go for a walk without someone stopping you.” He teased.

She rolled her eyes back at him, a smile on her face. “I’m a Queen, it comes with the job. And you are quite popular yourself mister! You have made a lot of new friends! I’m so proud of you.” She pinched his cheek, grinning.

“Don’t pinch my cheek.” He frowned at her, causing her to giggle. Poppy walked a few steps in front of him as they got to Peppys pod. 

Poppy knocked on the door. “Dad?” She said, opening the door and walked in to see Peppy sitting at a table drinking tea.

Peppy turned around and gave her a smile. “Poppy, and I’m guessing Branch is with you as well?” He saw Poppy walk into his pod with Branch behind her. “I take it you’re here for the photos.” 

“Yes sir.” Branch said, standing next to Poppy. 

“Well, come sit down.” Peppy smiled as they sat at the table with him. “Where is Rose?” He asked, looking around.

“She’s here.” Branch parted his hair to show Rose asleep in his hair. “She didn’t get a good sleep last night, and with everything today I think she’s still exhausted.”

“I can imagine she is.” Peppy stood up. “Would you like anything to eat?” He asked, seeing them shake their head as he sat back down. He reached into his hair and pulled out four photos. “These were all I could find so far, I will keep looking in some older books.”

Branch took the photos and stared at them, seeing a dark blue haired male troll with dark green skin in the first photo. “This is…” he muttered under his breath, not able to take his eyes off the photo. After another minute he looked at the second one, it showed the same blue haired troll with a mint green haired woman with teal skin. He stared at this particular photo for longer, seeing the smile on the two trolls face. “They look so happy.”

“My favorite one is the last one.” Peppy smiled at him. Branch glance at him, before moving to see the third picture. He immediately recognized Rosiepuff and his mother in her arms, he figured his mother was around eight in the photos from how small she was and by the amount of mud in her hair. He smiled slightly at the grin on his grandmother's face and the even wider smile of his mother who had a handful of mud which looked like she was about to toss in Rosiepuffs face. When he got to the fourth picture he stopped. It was all three of them surrounding a blue egg. “It’s your egg. This is the last photo they all took together.” Peppy explained.

“They’re all so happy.” He said again, staring at the smile on their faces and tears in his mother’s eyes. He could almost feel the happiness in the pictures, radiating through the paper into him. His heart ached as he stared at the photo, longing for something he never had.

Poppy saw his sad expression on his face, but also saw a light in his eyes. The movement of her father standing up and going to the other side of the room caught her eye, before she stood up as well. She slowly went behind Branch and wrapped her arms gently around his shoulders, leaning down to pressing her cheek against his. She looked down at the photos and smiled. “Now I see where you get your good looks from.” She whispered in his ear, feeling his cheeks heat up against hers. “You have her smile too. So soft and warm.” She gently rubbed her cheek against his.

He glanced at her. “You think so?” He looked back at the photos and stared at his mother. 

“Of course! And you have his eyes too.” She said as she saw his father's eyes looked similar to Branchs. “I think yours are softer though.” She kissed his cheek before she straightened up when her dad came back to the table, her hands not leaving his shoulders.

“I wasn’t sure if you would want this, but here you are.” Peppy handed Branch another photo. Branchs eyes widened when he saw the grey child in the picture. 

“This is me?” He questioned. He knew the answer, but he almost didn’t recognize himself. The photo must have been taken in the first year he turned grey, he could tell because his ears looked like a normal pop troll in the photo. 

Peppy nodded, looking at him. “I thought you might want to show Rose. I don’t know if it will help with anything, but it shows it did happen like you said it did.”

Branch placed it down with the other photos before looking at Peppy. “Thank you Peppy. I really appreciate you looking for these.” Branch gave Peppy a smile, as Peppy smiled in return. 

“I’m glad I was able to find them, and I hope I can find more. I will ask a few other trolls who know them and see if they have any.” Peppy smiled before handing Branch a couple of books. Branch looked through the books, seeing they were about young children. “I read through these while I raised Poppy, I thought you could use them.” 

Branch looked up at him. “Thank you, again.” He skimmed through the books. “I really appreciate it. I know I already said it, but thank you.” He repeated, causing Peppy to chuckle. 

“You don’t have to thank me Branch. I’m happy to help.” He smiled, before looking at the time. “It’s almost three, I’m going to head out before dinner.”

“We will get out of your hair.” Branch said, standing up as Poppy went and hugged her father.

“We will see you later dad.” She smiled, kissing his cheek before she let go. “See you later dad.” She said as her and Branch walked out of the pod. 

Poppy happily skipped along the tree limb above her pod, her arms swinging as she walked. Branch watched her, letting out a small chuckle as she spun around. “What are you laughing at?” She asked, walking backwards in front of him.

He gave her a soft smile. “Nothing, just admiring how beautiful you are.” He said as Poppy blushed. Poppy started to grin as she stopped and took his hand into hers and brought them to her lips, kissing his knuckles as she started walking backwards again. “That’s my thing.” He chuckled again, being her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.

She giggled as she moved to walk beside him. “It’s OUR thing.” She held his arm as they got to her pod.

Poppy walked into her pod and started gathering the supplies they got earlier as Branch went to her fridge to get the food. “Are you going to stay the night again?” He asked, glancing at her from over the fridge door. 

Poppy stopped what she was doing and looked over at him, a smirk on her face. “Do you want me to stay over?” 

Branch looked at her over the fridge door, the tips of his ears as dark as his blushing cheeks. “I-um, really enjoyed having you over last night.” He flustered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I really like sleeping with you- I mean sleeping next to you.” His face grew red as he stumbled on his words.

As Branch rambled on he didn’t notice Poppy walking over to him. She stood beside him and giggled, causing him to jump. She placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him softly. “I enjoyed sleeping next to you too.” She said softly, staring lovingly into his eyes. “I’d love to stay over.” She started grinning before she pressed her face against his, nuzzling him. “All night with my little cuddly bear!” She cooed him happily.

Branch frowned. “Really? That again?” He mumbled as she squished his cheeks to make faces.

“You are such a cuddler, no matter what you say! And you held me so protectively last night, so it works! My cuddly bear.” She cooed him again, sloppily kissing his cheek before she hugged him tightly.

Branch wrapped his arms around her, chuckling. “Fine, call me whatever you want. That one is better then bunny” He buried his face in her hair. “The reason I asked was since we're out, maybe I should look at getting a new mattress. I haven’t gotten a new one in over twenty years.”

Poppy pulled back slightly and looked at him, her eyes starting to sparkle as she started grinning. “You need a really really cushiony one!” 

Branch chuckled, letting her go. “Of course i'm going to get a comfy one, I don’t want to sleep on a bed as hard as a rock.”

She rolled her eyes. “Come on, I wanna go with you to look at the beds!” She stopped and looked at him, blushing slightly. “If that’s okay?” 

He raised an eyebrow, confused on why she asked. “Of course it is, why wouldn’t it be?” Branch saw her shift from one foot to the other. “Anyways, we should go then so we can be back at the bunker before Rose wakes up.” He picked up the items they got earlier and headed to the door. 

Poppy snapped back and nodded, gathering the books before looking at her dresser which had the book form Barb in for a moment. She quickly packed a bag for the night along with the book and followed Branch back to the shopping center.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter! I don’t own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Poppy walked ahead of Branch as they got to the shopping center, looking around for the mattress booth. “It was here somewhere. They switched with the drum store.” She muttered as she looked around.

“They’re big, how can we not find them?” Branch looked from side to side but couldn’t find the store they were looking for.

As Poppy looked around she saw King Quincy and Queen Essence. “Hey King Quincy, Queen Essence!” She called to get their attention.

The funk royals looked over at the sound of their names and smiled. “Queen Poppy, what are you doing here? I thought you would have headed home for the day.” Essence said, giving her a motherly hug.

Poppy hugged her back, smiling. “We’re going to head back soon. We’re trying to find a new mattress for Branch, it’s been twenty years since he got a new one.” She said, pointing to Branch behind her who was blushing slightly at Poppy's bluntness.

“I would say it’s time for a new one.” King Quincy chuckled, walking over to Branch. “How has it been looking after Rose? I saw her earlier at the celebration of life party, but I never got the chance to talk to you after. Where is she?”

“She’s currently asleep.” He pointed to his hair. “It been a rough couple of days, but she does have her good moments.” 

“She's going to need those good moments.” He smiled as they followed behind Poppy and Essence. “Did you get the bag of letters? King Trollex was bringing them to you yesterday.” 

He nodded as Poppy pointed to the mattress booth and walked in with Essence. “Yes, Peppy brought them over since he was heading to my bunker anyways. I’ve gotten through about half of them, and I’m guessing the other half are going to be the same questions.” He watched as Poppy sat on a mattress, bouncing slightly to test it. “How is it going to work to talk to the other trolls? Are you all going to give a speech?” He looked at Quincy.

Quincy looked down at him and gave him a soft smile. “I was thinking that if you’re okay with it, you give the speech instead. If you are comfortable with that of course.” 

Branch thought for a moment. “Can I think about it? Maybe think of what I would say first?”

“Of course. Have the night to think about it, there is going to be a meeting tomorrow. You can join us and help give us input even if you don’t want to speak in front of the other trolls.” Quincy looked over at Poppy who was going from bed to bed trying to find the bounciest mattress.

“Thank you. I will think about it.” He said before looking at Poppy as well. “I better go stop her from breaking a mattress.” He sighed with a smile on his face as Poppy jumped on a bed, causing Quincy to chuckle. “Poppy, stop jumping on the bed. You’re going to fall or break something. Why are you even jumping on the bed anyways? You aren’t a trolling.” He said when he got to her.

Poppy looked at him with a frown. “You were the one just standing there talking, so I decided to see what the comfiest bed was! So far this one is winning.” She jumped in the air and landed on her bottom before getting off the bed, grinning. “Test it!” She patted the bed.

Branch put the bags he was carrying down and sat on the bed. “This one is much more comfortable then mine.” He muttered.

“Lay down! You can’t get the proper experience from just sitting on it.” Poppy said, going to the other side of the bed.

Branch did as instructed and carefully laid down, hoping not to wake Rose. “It’s a lot bigger than the one I have.” He stated.

“The one you have at home is a single bed. This one is a queen size bed! Nice and spacious! You can roll around and not fall off the side.” She grinned.

He chuckled as he sat up. “It’s a bed. It meant for sleeping, not rolling around.” He said as he got off the bed.

Poppy pouted as he walked over to her. “You’re no fun. No jumping and no rolling.” She crossed her arms playfully, staring at him. She jumped back on the bed and laid down on it, smiling as she snuggled into it. “It’s as soft as a cloud.” 

Branch immediately stood up. “Nope.” He walked to a different bed. “No clouds.” He groaned.

Poppy looked at him, before she burst out laughing. “It’s just an expression Branch.” 

“Don’t care..” He sat on a different bed. “Don’t use that expression again. It’s creepy.” 

“Why is that expression creepy?” Queen Essence asked, looking at Branch who looked over to her.

“Branch doesn’t like clouds. Cloud Guy gets on his nerves.” Poppy giggled and sat on the bed next to Branch, bouncing gently on it.

Branch frowned and crossed his arms. “He doesn’t just get on my nerves. He bothers me on purpose! He’s like a storm cloud on a sunny day.” He huffed as he looked away.

“Now, that’s not nice to say Branch, Cloud Guy is just having his fun.” Poppy frowned as well, about to say more but saw Branch freeze. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“She moved.” He muttered, waiting a moment to see if he could feel anything. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what was that thing Rose was carrying earlier? I saw her writing on it during the ceremony.” Essence asked, looking at Branch.

“It’s a larger notebook for her. The one she was using filled up so I made her one she can change the paper in. It also carries things so it works as a bag as well.” Branch explained, standing up.

“That’s a very good idea Branch. You will have to show us sometime.” Quincy smiled at Branch, who nodded slightly. 

A sudden scream caused them all to jump. Branch quickly reached into his hair as Rose kicked in his hair. “Rose, calm down.” Branch turned around so his back was to the others and knelt down, trying to get Rose out of his hair before she got too tangled in it. Roses screams slowly subsided as she came out of Branchs hair, but a crowd was forming outside the booth to see what happened. Branch could hear the trolls outside, and could see Rose was getting scared with all the voices and new surroundings, her eyes filling with tears as her breathing became rapid and short. Branch placed her on the ground as Poppy went to the entrance to stop the trolls from coming in. “Hey, look at me. You’re okay.” Branch gently cupped her face with his hands, his palms engulfing her cheeks as he kept her from looking around. “Don’t look at them. Look at me. Focus on me. You’re okay” He spoke softly, seeing her eyes slowly start to focus on him. 

As she stared at him her breathing started going back to normal after a few minutes, but the tears kept slowly. Branch kept a hold of her, gently using his thumb to wipe the tears off her cheek. Rose slowly moved her hand up to his and leaned into it, rubbing her face in his hand. Poppy soon walked over to them, kneeling down next to Branch as Rose glanced over at her. Poppy slowly lifted her hand and moved Roses bangs out of her eyes, giving her a soft smile. Rose closed her eyes, gently rubbing her head against their hands as she slowly relaxed.

Branch slowly brought his hands back to his sides, but Rose quickly followed them. She reached out and grabbed his hand, bringing his hand back to her cheek as she gently nuzzled it. Branched stared at her, surprised for a moment as he heard Poppy giggle next to him. He glanced over at her when he felt her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, we should hurry and get your bed and head back.” Poppy stood up and thanked the royal funk trolls for helping disband the group of trolls.

Branch held Rose in one arm as she refused to let go of his hand. “Feel better now twig?” He asked as he stood up, his back still turned to the others. He felt her nod as she grabbed his thumb with her hand, lifting it so his hand went back to her face as she stared at it. “King Quincy and Queen Essence are here. You remember them, right?” He saw her look up at him and slowly nod. Branch turned around to see the others staring at him. “Say hi.” He said as he tried to move his hand but she pulled his hands back so she hid behind his hand.

Queen Essence smiled as she lowered her head towards Rose. “Hello again little one.” She saw Rose peek out from behind Branchs hand, waving slightly before going back to playing with Branchs fingers. Essence looked up at Branch. “Is that normal for her?” She asked softly.

Branch nodded. “A handful of times every night.” He replied as he looked down at Rose who had her hand wrapped around his thumb. “She has been getting better. She laughed a bit yesterday. It will just take time.” 

She smiled. “That’s good to hear. I’m glad she is comfortable with you, and Poppy as well.”

Branch chuckled. “She has really gotten attached to Poppy. She wouldn’t let Poppy leave yesterday. She… What are you doing?” He looked down at Rose who was hitting her hand against his. Rose kept hitting her hand against his before she pointed to Poppy who was sitting on the bed next to them, bouncing slightly on the spot. “Alright, alright. Stop hitting my hand.” He placed her on the bed next to Poppy before he continued to talk to Essence.

Poppy grinned down at Rose who looked up at her. “I have one more thing we gotta do. You wanna help?” She asked excitedly as Rose nodded. “Alright. We gotta find the most comfiest bed here! You think you can help with that? Branch needs a new bed.” She saw Rose perk up more at Branchs name, seeing her nod again. “Alright! What do you think about this one?” She patted the bed she was on, seeing Rose jump on the bed slightly before pointing to another one.

As Poppy brought her to the other bed a voice came at the entrance of the booth. “Of course when there’s a crowd, you’re there.” Barb walked towards Poppy with a guitar on her back. “What was the commotion earlier? I heard a scream and stopped practicing to come check it out.” 

Poppy grinned. “It was nothing, don’t worry! Rose just had a little nightmare.” She placed Rose on the ground, who hid behind her leg. Poppy knelt down next to her. “Hey Rose, why don’t you go see Branch? I think he needs to go jump on the beds.” She said as Rose quickly went to Branch and hugged his leg. Poppy quickly turned to Barb. “What were you thinking?!” She quickly whispered to Barb.

Barb looked at her confused for a minute, before grinning. “You went to the book shop!” She placed her arm around Poppys shoulder to bring her closer as she whispered. “You haven’t done it right? With him? How come? Is there a reason? Spill!” She asked.

Poppy stared at her as her face darker with every question. “What?! No, there’s no reason for not! Not like that. We just...haven’t.” She muttered, looking away.

“There has to be a reason! Is it because he was one grey? Does he not want to? I mean, not could he not? I thought he would have jumped you by now.” Barb started but was quickly shushed by Poppy, giving her mouth with her hand.

“Stop! What if they hear you! We just haven’t, that’s all! We aren’t ready. I still have to talk to him.” She whispered aggressively. 

“Talk? Talk about what? There is no talking, just action! The action is the best part! You have to read that book. It would help both of you.” She winked.

Poppy groaned, embarrassed. “We have to talk first. That’s all. He may not want to be with me after…” Her ears dropped at the thought of him not wanting her. 

“Now I have to know what you have to talk to him about if you are worried he will leave you. He is BRANCH. He has always been at your side ever since I met him. He threw a book at me, to try and help you, then took the hit for you. If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is.” Barb said, removing her arm from around the pink troll.

Poppy looked over at the dark coloured troll, her expression sifting the more she stared at him. “He really is something…” she said lovingly, the smile on her face growing.

Barb rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, go on. I know that face. You can tell me next time.” She chuckled as she saw Poppy run over to Branch and hug him tightly, causing him to fall back onto the bed behind him.

Branch steadied himself on the bed before wrapping his arms around the pink troll that just collided into him. “What? Is something wrong? What happened?” He asked quickly, trying to look at her but Poppy refused to let him go.

“I love you.” She mumbled into his chest, rubbing her face into him as she hugged him tightly.

Branch let out a soft chuckle. “I love you too.” He whispered in her ear as he hugged her back. He heard a soft grunt coming from the floor as he felt a small hand on his leg. He kept an arm around Poppy as he quickly brought Rose up onto the bed so she could sit next to them. “Did you two find the most comfiest bed you were looking for?” He asked, seeing Rose laying back on the bed. 

Poppy moved her head to look at Rose. “I think she likes this one.” She moved off Branch and laid next to Rose. “I have to agree. This one is the best. It’s not so fluffy you sink but still very soft. Like a marshmallow! Is that better?” She teased, smirking at him.

Branch chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll be right back.” He got up and went to talk to the sales trolls. After a few minutes he came back, seeing Rose teaching towards him eagerly. “Well, we’re ready to go now. They said it will get delivered in a couple of hours.” He lifted Rose into his arm, using the other arm to gather the items they bought earlier.

“Me and Carol are going to work on some songs if you wanna come Popsqueak.” Barb suggested, looking at Poppy.

Poppy thought for a moment. “I’d love to, but I can’t today.” She gave her a smile. “Next week for sure though.” 

Barb shrugged. “Alright. See ya around.” She waved as she walked out of the booth.

Branch looked over at Poppy. “Why don’t you go? You never turn down a chance to sing.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling her hands tangle with his. 

“I’d rather stay with you and Rose.” She smiled, squeezing his hand. She saw Rose reaching towards her, grabbing her hand gently as she smiled down at the trolling.

“You should go, if you want. Rose will be okay if you aren’t there for a few hours.” Branch said, causing her to look at him. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay with us all the time. I love having you around, I really do, but you should go if you want to.”

Poppy gave him a warm smile, placing her free hand on his cheek. “I know that. If I really wanted to, I would have gone with her. Right now, I want to stay with you two.” She kissed his cheek before leaning against him as she felt Rose playing with her fingers. She swiftly took Rose out of Branchs arm and turned to see Essence and Quincy looking at a few side tables. “We will be leaving now. I’ll see you tomorrow!” She smiled, before looking down at Rose. “Wave bye bye Rose.” She grinned as Rose shyly waved.

“We will see you all tomorrow.” Quincy smiled as Essence waved back at Rose, soon making their way to booth across from them. Poppy looked at him confused for a minute before looking at Branch. 

“King Quincy said he wanted me to go to the meeting to help with the speech.” He explained as they headed to his bunker. “I need to finish those tonight, in case there are any new questions.”

Poppy grinned. “That would be great! I get to sit on your lap again during the meeting! Yes!” She lifted her fist into the air excitedly.

Branch chuckled. “Really? That’s what you are excited about? Don’t think that’s very professional.”

Poppy rolled her eyes. “Oh, it’s fine! Your lap is much comfier than the chairs.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and gently rubbed her nose against his. “Come on, let’s hurry up and head back.” She took his hand and started walking towards his bunker. 

Once they got into the bunker, Poppy placed Rose on the ground and went to help Branch out everything away. Rose followed them as they walked around the kitchen, staying out of the way as she waited. Branch looked down at her. “What are you dong?” He saw her reaching towards him. He picked her up and placed her on the counter, getting her a small drink of juice. “Here. Have this. Do you want to start colouring in one of your new books?” Rose nodded, drinking her juice before reaching towards the pile of books behind Branch. He picked her back up and brought a few of the books over to the table, sitting her down so she could draw. Branch sat next to her and pulled out a few more letters as Poppy sat and started scrapbooking.

Branch finished reading the letters an hour later, letting out a loud sigh. Poppy and Rose looked up at him. “You okay Branch? You don’t have to finish the letters today.” Poppy said, reaching for his hand.

He looked up and took her hand in his. “I finished reading the letters. I need to think of how to make the other trolls understand what she’s going through.” He kissed her knuckles letting go of her hand and stood up. “They should be here soon for the bed, I’ll go move the other one.” He headed towards his bedroom.

Poppy stood up once he started walking. “I’ll come help.”

“No!” Branch said loudly, quickly spinning around with his hands up to stop her. He froze when he realized how loud he was. “I mean, i got it. Don’t worry about it. I won’t be long.” He quickly backed up into his room and shut the door.

Poppy watched him, a frown on her face. She looked over at Rose who was looking back at her. “That was weird, right?” She saw Rose nod in agreement. “That troll has a lot of secrets.” She said as she walked over to see Roses colouring book. “Oh that critter is so cute! I love the purple wings.” She grinned as Rose started pointing out other colours. 

Fifteen minutes later a knock rang loudly through the bunker. Branch opened the bedroom door and went to the elevator. When he got to the door he saw the bed and a couple of trolls. He led the two trolls down the elevator and helped them move it into the room. “Thank you.” He said as they made their way back to the surface. When he came back down he saw Poppy and Rose were no longer in the kitchen. “Poppy? Rose?” He called out, hearing Poppy call back from the bedroom. He walked to the bedroom to see Poppy and Rose laying on the bed.

“Very good choice on the bed.” She grinned as she laid sprawled over the bed, Rose next to her head doing the same thing. “We are going to sleep well tonight!” She propped herself up on her elbows and grinned at him.

“You were the one who picked it to be the best one, it better be good.” He walked over and picked Rose up. “Are you hungry?” He saw her nod. “Is leftover pasta good?”

“That sounds great.” Poppy stood up and followed him to the kitchen. She got the table ready as Branch headed the leftovers. 

Once they finished eating Branch gathered the dishes, seeing Rose yawn. “Bed time.” He said as he put the dishes on the sink to wash later. He walked over and picked her up, causing her to fuss. She kicked her legs, whimpering slightly as she squirmed in his arms. “Come on, you’re tired.” He placed her on the ground to try and keep her calm. 

Poppy walked in with her pajamas on. “What’s wrong?” She asked, seeing a pouting Rose and a frowning Branch.

“She doesn’t want to go to bed, but she’s tired.” Branch stared down at Rose who whined slightly, still sitting on the floor.

“Oh, someone wants to stay up?” Poppy walked over to them and knelt down in front of Rose. “How about I read you one of the new books we got?” Poppy saw Rose quickly look up at her, her ears peeking up as she nodded. “Alright! Go get changed and choose a book. I will be right there.” Rose quickly made her way to her room, causing Branch to stare at Poppy slightly shocked. “What?”

“I knew you were good with kids, but I didn’t know you were that good. She didn't even try to fight you on it.” He said, seeing Poppy giggle. “What? I told her bed time and she started kicking, you told her to get ready and she went.”

“She is a kid. Of course she’s going to try and stay awake as long as she can. The last couple nights she fell asleep and you put her in bed, but with her nap earlier she’s still awake. After the story I’m sure she will fall asleep.” Poppy grinned, kissing his cheek. “Are you going to come listen?” 

He gave her a smile, his arms going around her waist to bring her close as her arms snakes around his shoulders. “I think I’m going to stay here at the table, I will be able to hear you from here.” He kissed her softly. “What would I do without you?” He muttered against her lips.

Poppy giggled, letting him go. “You would be so lost without me.” She sang as she skipped towards Roses room.

Branch chuckled. “I would.” He sat down at the table and took out one of his notebooks and started writing.

Poppy walked into Rose's room, seeing her laying in bed ready for the story. “Well, you look ready for the story! What book did you choose?” Rose held up a book with a beast on the cover. “Beauty and the beast? Very good choice.” She sat at the chair next to her bed, taking the book. Poppy saw Rose wiggle slightly in the bed before she started reading. Rose watched her intensely, her eyes not leaving Poppys face as she listened. Her eyes slowly felt heavy, fighting to keep herself awake to listen to the story. Poppy saw her eyes slowly closing and stopped the book at the page. “We can continue tomorrow night. You should sleep.” She gently tucked Rose under the covers as she got a small whimper in return. “Sleep. We will be in the other room when you wake up.” Poppy gave her a smile and stood up. Rose lifted her hand towards her, staring at her. Poppy took her hand and knelt back down, gently nuzzled her cheek. “Sweet dreams Rose. Branch will be in soon to say night too.” She whispered before she let go of her hand and went to the door. She glanced back at Rose who yawned before going back to the kitchen to see Branch with a couple of books spread out on the table.

Branch heard Poppy in the hallway and looked up. “Is she asleep?” He asked as he gathered his books up quickly.

Poppy walked over, shaking her head. “No, she’s waiting for you to go see her.” She looked down at the untitled books. “What are those?” She asked. 

Branch picked them up and walked over to a bookshelf. “They’re nothing. I’ll go see her, but don’t touch the books please.” He said as he put them away before going to Roses room. As he walked in, he immediately saw Rose reaching towards him. He walked over and gently took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hey twig, go to sleep now.” He said softly, feeling her squeeze his finger. “You had a long day, we all need sleep. We will be in the room next door, and we will come whenever you call or ring the bell.” He assured her, giving her a soft smile as she yawned again. After a minute passed Roses eyes shut, her breathing evening out as she fell asleep. Branch slowly let go of her hand and walked out to see Poppy looking at one of the books. “They’re stuff I wrote years ago.” He said, causing Poppy to jump slightly.

Poppy looked over at him before looking down at the book. “The lyrics, the poems…” She stopped as she looked back up at him.

“I didn’t have much to do, so writing was some of the things that helped me get things under control sometimes.” He walked over to her to see what one she was reading. “You can look at those another time, We should head to bed.” He yawned. 

She put the book back on the shelf before wrapping her arms around him. “I love you Branch.” She tightened her arms around his body, bringing him as close as she could. 

He wrapped his arms around her shoulder, rubbing her back gently. “And I love you Poppy… Those were written years ago. I don’t feel like that much anymore.”

“I know.” She muttered into his chest, rubbing her nose against his collarbone. 

Branch held her for another moment before letting her go. Once Poppy let him go he quickly bent down, swinging an arm under her legs to bring them up into his arms as his other arm rested on her back. He heard her squeak in surprise as he held her in his arms, a large smirk on his face. “It’s bedtime now.” He said as he headed towards his room.

Poppy let out a heartfelt laugh, resting her head on his shoulder. “What are you doing?” She grinned.

“What does it look like? I’m bringing you to bed.” He kissed her cheek as he walked to the room, placing her on the bed. 

Poppy kept a hold of him, keeping him hovering over her. “My handsome troll.” She brought his face down to hers, gently rubbing her nose against his.

He gave her a warm smile as he stared into her eyes. “My beautiful queen.” He gave her a soft kiss before placing his forehead against hers. He rolled over to lay next to her, not taking his eyes off her.

Poppy placed her hand on his cheeks, the smile on her lips permanently stuck. “We should sleep.” She kissed him gently. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He pulled her closer to him, their bodies pressed against each other as they fell asleep in one another’s arms.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my troll fans!!
> 
> I finally own the Trolls World Tour movie!! I’m so excited to research it over and over again! I even for the last Walmart exclusive one with the adorable pop funko keychains! Both the trolls movies are my absolute favourite movies, and I can’t wait for a third one to come out! I even watched the version where Walt, David, and Gina talk through the movie and it was so cool to listen to them walk about the scenes! Highly recommend it if you own the movie!   
> I wanted to let you know that there may not be a chapter next week, I will try and get it posted but at the moment it will be the week after for a new chapter! Sorry for the wait in advance!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for reading this story so far!   
> I don’t own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Branch laid awake, his eyes staring up at the ceiling. The only sound he could hear was the soft breathing of the troll laying by his side. He looked over to see Poppy using his arm as a pillow, her arms around him as she held him close in her sleep. His eyes went to the glitter on her cheeks, even with barely any light, they still shined. A smile came to his lips as he let out a small sigh of content before looking back at the ceiling, gently rubbing her arm as his mind wondered. He’s already been up for a couple hours, but he couldn’t fall back asleep. His mind started racing as he thought of the letters and the reaction the trolls may have. It wasn’t long till he felt Poppy stir slightly, her legs wrapping around his. She let out a sleepy moan as she buried her face into his arm, her eyes slowly opening. “Good morning, Sunshine.” Branch whispered to her.

A smile started to appear on her lip as she looked at him. She let out another sleepy moan as she stretched. “Morning honey.” Her grin widened as she nuzzled her nose against his. She lazily crawled on top of him and rested her head on his chest. 

“You know.” He started, kissing her forehead. “I always knew you were a hugger, but you are also very cuddly in your sleep.” His arms tightened around her, bringing her closer against him.

She giggled, burying her face in his chest. “I can’t help if! You’re just so cuddly and warm!” She lifted her head and kissed him softly. “Warm and safe.” She grinned more as she saw him light up. 

Branchs eyes lit up when he heard her, his loving smile widened. “I love you.” He said before kissing her softly.

She kissed him back, grinning after she pulled back for air. “Come on! We missed the morning song the past couple days. We should go today! I don’t think we missed it yet.” She pushed herself up, straddling his waist so she could sit on his lap. She gave him one more grin before she got off him and headed to the bathroom.

He watched her leave, a smirk on his face before standing up. As he stretched he wondered why he hadn’t heard Rose for a little bit, she normally woke up every two hours. He made his way to check on her, stopping in front of her door. He slowly opened her door, peeking in to see Rose sitting on her back, rocking slightly. “Rose? You’re awake?” He opened the door more, the light revealing the tear stains on her cheek. He quickly went to her bedside, kneeling down. “I didn’t know you were awake, why didn’t you come see us?” He asked as she wiped her eyes, looking away from him. Rose had stopped rocking, her head turned away from him. She felt Branch put her binder on the bed next to her, causing her to glance at it. “What’s wrong Twig? Was it the nightmares? You know you can call for us, or come to my room and get us.” 

Rose slowly glanced over at him. She grabbed her binder and started writing. After a moment she put her binder and and moved it towards him. ‘Burden.’ 

Branchs eyes widened at the word. “Where have you gotten that word from?” He stopped when she pointed to him. He placed a hand over his face and groaned slightly. “Yeah. I did use that word when explaining what happened to the others.” He let out a small sigh before looking at her. “Rose, you are not a burden. Not to me, not to Poppy, not to anyone. If you ever have a nightmare, or scared and lonely, you can come to us. If it’s midnight and you can’t sleep, you can come and stay with us for a while.” He gently scooped her up in his arms. Rose immediately hugged his arm, holding him tightly. “Do you want to tell me what happened? If it was a nightmare?” He felt her shake her head into his arm. “Alright, I won’t pry. If you do ever want to talk about it, I’m always here to listen. Or read.” He picked her binder up and headed to the kitchen. 

Branch placed her on a chair before he went to start making breakfast. He got a pot of coffee ready as he got Rose a cup of juice, pouring Poppy a cup as well. Poppy soon walked in with wet hair and fresh clothes. “Good morning Rose.” She sat down next to her and saw her bloodshot eyes. “Are you okay Rose? Was it a bad dream?” Rose nodded slowly, looking down at the table.

Branch walked over and placed their cups in front of them. “She was up when I got there.” He told her, placing a hand on Roses back. “Drink your juice, I’ll have waffles ready soon.” He walked over to the kitchen and started making breakfast. 

Poppy looked down at Rose, who started drinking her juice. “You know, you can always come to us. Even if we’re sleeping. You can come wake us up, or use the bell.” She pointed to the bell on her binder. Rose looked up at her and sheepishly nodded, causing Poppy to smile at her. “Good. As long as you know. Now! I never got a morning hug yet! Can I have one?” She held her arms open towards Rose. Rose nodded, holding her arm towards her. Poppy grinned and scooped her up into her arms. She held Rose close, rocking her gently for a minute before she looked down at her cast. “How’s your arm? Does it hurt?” She asked. 

Rose shook her head, before placing her hand over her cast and itched at the cast. Branch walked over with two plates of waffles, seeing her itch the cast. “The doctor said it would get itchy, and to do your best to not itch it.” He said before going to get his waffle from the kitchen along with his coffee. 

Poppy placed Rose back in her chair and started eating. As Branch came back, he sat down and let out a loud yawn. Poppy looked up at him. “Still tired, huh? Well, drink your coffee! Then we can go join the song!” She reached over and took his cup and took a large drink.

He frowned and took his cup back when he put it down. “What did we talk about with the coffee? You will be none stop for the next couple hours.” He took a sip of his drink.

She grinned, gently kicking his leg under the table. “Oh, I’m not that bad! You’re exaggerating.”

“You’re going to be bouncing off the walls soon.” He muttered before yawning again and started eating. 

Branch finished cleaning the kitchen as he waited for them to finish getting ready. He went to lay on the couch once he finished cleaning, his arm over his eyes as he waited. He groaned slightly when he heard them making their way towards him. “Coffee not kicking in?” He nodded as he moved his arm but kept his eyes closed. “Did you not sleep well last night?” Poppy asked.

He opened his eyes to see her peering down at him. “I was up the last few hours, I’ll be fine later.” He sat up to see Rose at his feet. “Do you want to join us in the song? I can wait off to the side with you, if you don't want to dance.” She looked down at her cast for a minute before reaching towards him, a small frown on her face. “Alright, we will stay off to the side and watch.” He gave her a smile before standing up, picking her up in the process. 

“We don’t have to go, we can just head to the meeting.” Poppy gave them a smile. 

Branch shook his head. “You already missed the last few morning songs. I know you miss going out and singing early in the morning. You should go have fun, we will be close by watching.” He smiled, kissing her cheek. “We can join another day.” He looked down at Rose who held her cast up. “Once we that darn thing off, then we can give it a shot. How about it?”

Rose looked at her cast, before nodding. “Alright. If you say so.” Poppy smiled and kissed him quickly. “Come on! We can’t be late!” She ran to the lever and placed a hand on it. “Slowpokes.” She teased.

Branch chuckled, rolling his eyes as he grabbed the bag of letters and supplies to keep Rose busy. Once they got to the surface Poppy slipped ahead of them as they made their way to the center of the village. “We will be close by for when you finish. If you can’t find us, head to the meeting and we will catch up with you there.” Branch said, kissing her hand softly.

Poppy giggled, blushing slightly as his sweet gesture . “I’m sure I will find you after.” She gave him a quick but loving kiss before looking down at Rose in his arms. “I’ll be right back.” She smiled before stretching her hair out to a branch above them and started the morning song. 

Branch watched her dance to the music, not able to take his eyes off her. He could hear her voice over the others that joined her. He loved listening to her song, her voice was the most beautiful of all the trolls. He couldn’t help but smile, seeing her give them a quick wave as she danced with the group of trolls. He looked down to see Rose who quickly waved back at Poppy. He saw the way she watched Poppy dancing, he knew she wished she was there as well. He remembered the feeling of longing as he would always watch parties from afar. “Once you get that cast off, you will be up there dancing with her.” He told her, causing her to look up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before looking back up at Poppy.

Once the song came to a finish, Poppy quickly ran down the tree to where she last saw Branch and Rose. She grinned when she saw them and started running towards them. Rose saw her running towards them and started running to meet her halfway. Poppy picked Rose up once she got to arms length, giving her a tight hug as she felt Rose latch onto her. “Oh I missed you too Rose! You will have to join me next time.” She rubbed her back as she walked towards Branch.

Branch walked towards her, smiling. “Your voice was beautiful as always, Sunshine.” He placed an arm around her waist and kissed her eagerly. 

Poppy moved closer against him as she kissed him passionately. She couldn’t help but grin after he pulled back. “Oh, thank you.” She kissed him again before quickly turning around. “Come on! Let’s go!” She quickly marched towards the meeting that was going to be held at. 

Branch followed close behind her, chuckling as she started skipping. As they got to the balcony Branch looked around to see they were the first to arrive. “Looks like we’re the first ones here.” Branch stated. He let out a yawn as he sat down at the table.

“Still tired, huh? Why don’t you put your head down and rest while we wait?” Poppy suggested, placing Rose on the table next to him and sat down.

“I might.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a colouring book for Rose. “Here, I thought you must get bored.” He placed it in front of her and Rose immediately started looking through. He crossed his arms on the table and laid his head down on them.

Poppy smiled as she looked at Branch. Without thinking, she reached over and ran her fingers through his hair. She felt him stop for a moment before he let out a soft hum as he tilted his head into her hand. She couldn't help but grin as she continued to run her hands through his soft hair. She giggled as she heard his breaths even out, indicating he was about to fallen asleep. She looked over at Rose to see her concentrating on the book, then looked back at Branch. She leaned down and kissed his cheek gently, hearing him mumble her name. She gently nuzzled his cheek as she cuddled into his side. “I love you Branchie.” She whispered. 

“Poppy, you’re here early.” Delta's voice came from behind her, causing her to jump out of her seat.

Poppy turned around and saw delta walking towards them. “Hey Delta! We came right after the song.” She sat back down and continued to run her hand through Branch’s hair.

“Is he sleeping?” She asked, sitting across from them.

“Yeah. He couldn’t fall back asleep this morning. I told him to rest his head since we were early, and he fell asleep.” She grinned, looking back at Branch.

“I’m not sleeping.” His voice mumbled as he moved his head and glanced at Delta. “Hey.” He said sleepily before he tilted his head to the side to see Poppy grinning at him.

“Did I wake you sugar?” Delta asked.

“No, you didn’t.” He replied, his eyes closing againA.

A voice in the distance called Poppy's name, causing her to look around. “Poppy!” The voice came again as brightly coloured fins shining in the distance. 

Poppy let out a squeal, causing Branch to flinch slightly at the high note. “Trollex!” She jumped out of her seat, her arms in the air. Within seconds Trollex flew quickly to her and lifted her into the air in a swirling motion. Their laughter echoed as they spun quickly in the air before flying her back down to the table. Poppy held her stomach as she laughed, stumbling slightly. “Trollex! My Man! What are you up to? Did you make it past that writers block yet?” She asked.

He shrugged. “Still in the rut. I was hoping to find some inspiration from the other genres.” 

Branch could hear their voices talking behind him, feeling a hand on his shoulder. He groaned slightly, before feeling someone sit next to him and rest their head beside his. He felt their breath on his face, causing him to open his eyes to see Barb smirking at him. “Morning Sleeping Beauty! Rough night?” She placed a coffee cup beside his head. 

He lifted his head as he sighed, moving her hand off his shoulder. “Hey Barb.” He said, sitting up and stretched. Barb chuckled as she turned to lean her back against the table.

“What are you doing here? You and the kid are going to be bored.” Barb asked glancing back at Rose who had moved closer to Branch. “And take the coffee, I don’t need it but it sure looks like you do. This would have been my third cup already.” 

“King Quincy told me yesterday he wants me to help with a speech.” He said, looking around to see a couple of the leaders were still not there. “And thanks, the one I had earlier doesn’t seem to be strong enough.”

“You should stop by later! I have to meet my friends after the meeting, maybe you could talk to them and try and find some inspiration!” Poppy jumped in place as Trollex nodded. “Oh I can’t wait! I don’t think I properly introduced them all to you yet!” They walked over to the table, seeing Barb talking to Branch. “Barb!” She grinned, getting a lazy wave in return.

Barb tilting her head back so her chin was facing the sky. She gave Delta a cocky grin. “Hey Country! Come over here and join us.”

Delta shook her head. “I’m fine here. The others should be here shortly.” She pulled an apple out of her hair and started to eat it. 

Poppy stood behind Branch, placing her hands on his shoulders before they slid down to his chest as she leaned against him. “Is there anything we need to talk about other than the letters?” She asked, seeing Trollex and Barb shrug.

“I think Trollzart has updates for us. I don’t think there is much else for us to discuss, except for who’s going back when. I was planning on going back to Lonesome Flats for the weekend.” Delta said, causing them to look at her.

“Say hi to Growly Pete when you go!” Poppy grinned. She looked over at Rose who stopped had colouring. She saw her gaze was on Trollex who was floating beside Barb. Rose tilted her head slightly before she grabbed her markers and started colouring her cast and hand. “Rose, what are you doing?” She asked, causing Branch to immediately look at Rose.

Rose dropped the marker, slowly looking at Poppy. She looked down at her messily coloured cast, her ears dropping. She crawled over to Branch and hid her face in his arm. “What’s wrong?” Branch asked her softly, placing a hand on her back.

Rose took out her pencil and started writing in her binder. ‘Colour.’ She wrote, moving it so Branch could see. Poppy glanced over Branch’s shoulders to read at well, the smile on her face slowly disappearing

Branch’s wars dropped slightly when he read it. “You want colour? Go choose a few markers.” He saw her grab all of her markers, looking at him confused. “Let’s colour your cast.” He gave her a smile before whispering into her ear. “You want it similar to Trollex? Since you were staring at his arm?” 

Rose nodded quickly, holding her cast out eagerly. As Branch started colouring he glanced up to see Barb and Delta had started talking. “I did something similar when I was ten. I covered myself in paint. It was by accident at first, just some paint in my hair. When I saw myself in the mirror, I liked it better then my black hair.” He told her, causing her to look up at him. He continued onto the next colour but didn’t continue his story.

After a minute of silence, Barb spoke up. “Well? Is there more?” She asked, causing Branch to look at her confused. “You painted yourself? That’s it? Nothing more to add?” She motioned for him to continue.

“I didn’t know you were listening.” He said, see they all had their eyes on him. “The next day I went out to get more paint so I could try my whole body. After I started painting, other kids found me. They started pouring buckets of different coloured paints on me. I don’t know if they thought they were helping or what, but the paint blending into a greyish brownish colour. I ended up running off to the river and quickly washed it off.” He finished, his eyes not leaving Roses arm as he had half her cast coloured.

He felt poppy tighten her grip on him, glancing up to see the others staring at him. “Dang bro, you sure had it rough.” Barb said, looking up at the sky. 

Branch shrugged. “It could have been worse.” He looked up, seeing Barb raise her eyebrow. 

“And what would be worse?” She asked.

“If my comprehensive manual missed.” He said automatically, causing Barb to stare at him. He stopped when he realized what he said. Before he could speak again, Barb burst out laughing. 

Barb fell to the floor, rolling on her back as she held her stomach. “Y-you think that would be worse?! NOT hitting me in the face with a book is worse?!” She said through her laughter.

Branch stared at her, shocked as he heard her laughter. “I didn’t mean that as an insult or anything.” He said quickly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Delta cover her mouth as she looked away. He felt Poppy move one of her hands off his shoulder and to her mouth, feeling her holding in a laugh as well.

“What happened to Barb?” A voice above them came as Trollzart flew down. King Quincy, Queen Essence, as well as Prince D not far from the table.

“Branch brought up the book hitting Barb in the face with the book.” Trollex chuckled.

Barbs laughed became louder, gasping for air as tears came to her eyes. “How...How did you even make that shot, man? You were so far away.” She panted as she climbed back onto her seat.

“I had to calculate the distance, the wind, the angle.” He started before hearing Barb groan.

“You ruined it. You ruined it with math.” Barb grinned. “I needed that laugh though, thanks. No hard feelings about it.” She held her fist towards him.

“Yeah, no hard feelings about becoming a rock zombie.” He hit his fist against hers, hearing her laugh again as everyone sat around the table.

“Before we start the meeting.” Prince D looking over at Branch. “What are you doing to Rose's arm?” He asked.

Branch looked down at the cast. “She wanted it to be colourful.” He placed the markers down as Rose held her cast up, staring at the colours. She stood up to hold her cast up to him, then to Poppy. “I take it you like it.” He chuckled. 

Rose hopped slightly on her heels, before she turned around as she held it in front of her face. Over her cast, she saw the others watching her. She froze for a moment before diving into Branch’s arm, hiding her face. King Trollex leaned over the table to see Rose. “Hey, Rose. Come here.”

Rose glanced over at him, but didn’t move. “Go on, it will be okay. I’ll be right here.” Branch assured her, gently pushing her towards Trollex.

Rose slowly walked over to Trollex, rubbing her arm sheepishly. Trollex smiled at her, holding his arm out. “Did you know, certain techno trolls can light up when touched? It’s much brighter in water, but it still works here.” He touched the green pattern on his arm and it started to glow brighter under his finger. Roses ears perked up as she saw him touch each colour to make them glow. “Cool, huh?” As he pressed the colours he hummed a couple of notes to make it seem like he was playing a piano.

Rose slowly reached out and touched the red section on his arm, seeing it light up under her touch. Her eyes lit up, touching the pink one next to it. A small smile appeared as she pressed another colour. She looked up to see Trollex smiling down at her, slowly retreated her arm before going back to Branch’s arm. Branch looked down at her, before looking up at Trollex. “Thanks.” He said, causing Trollex to grin at him.

“No problem. That sends to be a hit with the other kids.” Trollex said as he rested back into his chair

“Well, let’s get the meeting started.” Queen Essence smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back!
> 
> I want to thank Wildkat25 for helping me with this chapter! She helped me a lot with the speech in the chapter, and I can’t thank her enough for helping me with it!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! The song used in this chapter is Welcome To My Life by Simple Plan. Thank you for reading it! I don’t own trolls, but Rose is my OC.

All eyes turned to Branch. He slowly handed out the letters to the leaders, sitting back down once everyone had a few. After a few minutes of reading the letters they all looked back up at him. Branch looked around, feeling his hands getting warmer as they stared. “Well?” Barb said impatiently.

“Right.” Branch said, pulling a notebook out of his hair. “Most of the letters are about how she will gain her colours back, if it has happened in the past, what will happen to her. Most of them are common questions like that. They are easier to answer. She won’t be grey forever, she went through something tragic. It takes time for her to get used to what the new normal will be for her. It will be hard, but she has trolls to support her. Easy questions. There are questions that I was surprised to read, from other pop trolls. There was a bunch asking if Rose would turn out like me. If she will grey for years like I was. There were some asking why I did certain things when I was grey.”

Branch stopped talking for a moment, looking down at the papers in front of him. “Are you going to be the one to talk about it? Answer questions if anyone has any?” Delta asked.

Branch stopped moving his papers around. “I don’t know. I don’t think they would listen to me, not like they would you all.”

“That may be true.” King Quincy spoke. “But I think it would be more meaningful if it came from you. You are the only one who can truly make them understand. If we tell them, they may take it as some sort of command to be nicer to Rose.”

“No one can truly understand what she is going through. I can’t…” Branch stopped when he felt a warm hand on his arm. He looked over to see Poppy giving him a soft smile.

Poppy reached into her hair and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. Branch raised an eyebrow, confused as he looked at the words on the paper. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized what it was. “When I was reading your older works last night, I came across this. I thought you could sing this, it may help them understand.”

Branch was silent for a minute. “What does it say?” Prince D asked, getting a nudge from his mother. “What? I’m just curious.” He frowned slightly before looking at Branch.

“It’s something I wrote when I was about sixteen, after another one of my episodes.” He stared down at the paper, before looking over at Poppy. “Poppy, you know I only let you read certain stuff and I don’t like others looking at my stuff. Why did you bring it?” He whispered to her.

“I read it last night, and I saw how stressed you were about the letters. I thought this would help, and since you let me read it I thought I could bring it and give it to you. I’m not going to show anyone unless you’re okay with it. I think this will really help the others understand.” She whispered back. “I’m sorry, I thought it would be okay since you let me read it. I won’t bring any of your work out of the bunker without asking.” She placed her hand on his, giving him a soft smile.

“I just don’t want anyone reading my stuff without me knowing.” He muttered. “I don’t want anyone's view of me changing, even though I know once they find out it will change.” He sighed, a hand going through his hair.

Poppy gave his hand a squeeze, causing him to look over at her. “I’d never change my view of you Branch. No matter what you did in the past isn’t going to change how much I love you. Even if I read all of your works, nothing will change about how I feel about you.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, smiling.

Branch gave her a soft smile, squeezing her hand in return. “Just wait till you read it all. ” He teased, kissing her hand. “It is a good idea though. I originally thought of it as a poem, but it could work for a song.” His voice a bit louder now.

Prince D leaned his head over. “Can I read it?” He asked.

“Darnell.” Queen Essence warned.

“It’s alright. You can read it.” He slid the paper over to Prince D. “If I’m going to be singing it in front of everyone, you all might as well know what the lyrics are.” Branch shrugged.

“So you have the song, is there anything else that we can prepare for?” King Quincy asked, looking at Branch.

“I normally like to be prepared, but I don’t think there is much to do to prepare something like this.” He said, hearing Poppy gasp dramatically.

“You? Not prepared? I’m shocked.” She teased, a grin on her lips. She placed her hand on his forehead. “Are you getting sick?”

Branch reached up and took her hand off his forehead. “I am not sick, and you say that every time.” He saw her giggled as he intertwined their fingers together.

“Alright then. Let’s answer those questions.” Trollzart said, writing down the answers as Branch spoke.

As the meeting continued, everyone was given a part to speak. “Now that it’s settled, are there any other matters that need to be discussed while we’re here?” Queen Essence asked.

Branch picked up Rose’s books and markers and placed them in his back, causing Poppy to look over at him. “Why are you packing up?” She asked.

“I thought I was done? If we’re done talking about the letters, I should probably go.” He said, reaching towards Rose but she quickly moved closer to Poppy.

“You can stay, if you would like.” Essence gave him a smile. “It looks like Rose doesn’t want to leave, and I think it’s good to have your input.”

“You have a unique look on things. You have helped us a lot.” Delta commented.

“I have?” Branch asked,

“Of course you have. You have helped us with the expansion of this place.” Trollzart replies.

“And you help with any arguments between trolls. You’re always there when we need you.” Trollex added as he grinned.

Branched blushed slightly at the comments. “Thanks, I guess. I’ll stay then.” He said, feeling Poppys hand on his arm. He looked over to see her grinning widely. “What?”

She shook her head, her arm linking with his. “Nothing. Just admiring my view.” She winked, causing him to blush more when he heard Prince D chuckled beside him.

“Just pay attention.” He muttered, looking down to avoid the eyes looking at him. Poppy grinned and took his hand on hers as the meeting continued.

~

The meeting came to a close as King Trollex and Trollzart flew off to gather the trolls to the main mushroom. “When does it start?” Branch asked, gathering his bag from under the table.

“Right after we’re done here.” Poppy answered. “Rose, do you feel comfortable coming with us as well? Or would you rather stay here and wait for us to finish?” She asked. Rose frowned slightly, looking at Branch. “Branch will be with us during the speech. There will be a lot of trolls there.” She warned, before seeing Rose point to Branch’s hair. “Alright. You can stay in his hair.” She smiled, seeing Roses eyes lit up slightly.

She turned to face Branch, smiling at him. “You sure you’re ready for this? I know talking about it in front of us is hard enough, but this is almost all the trolls.” She placed a hand on his upper arm and rubbed it gently.

He nodded. “I am nervous about it, but it will help Rose. I will do it.” He looked over at Rose who stared at them. “You ready? If you have anything you want to say, just tap my head and I’ll get your book .” He gently picked her and placed her in his hair. “This is still so weird.” He said, seeing Poppy hide her laugh. “Not funny.” He muttered, before kissing her softly for a moment. “Okay. Now I’m ready.” He smiled at her.

She grinned at him and took his hand, leading him off down the tree. Branch looked up to see King Trollex flying off to gather all the trolls. He felt his stomach turn, the nerves starting to get to him but he ignored it. He was going to do this so no one had to go through what he went through.

As all the trolls gathered in the centre of the village, Branch could hear the voices of some of the louder trolls talking about if there really was another grey troll before Rose. He let out a sigh, some of the trolls already spread news about his past. He turned to see most of the leaders start walking on top of the main mushroom, he remained off to the side in the shadows. He was nervous, but he knew he had to do this. Branch saw Poppy hesitate to join the others. She turned to him and kissed him softly. “You got this Branch.” She said to him before she walked into the mushroom.

“Hello everyone.” Poppy greeted, standing tall as she took a step forward. “I knew there had been a lot of rumours going around the past couple of days, and we want to address them to the best of our abilities.”

“Is it true?!” Questions rained out from the crowd.

“There have been other grey trolls here?” Another voice called out.

“Why were we not told about this before?!”

“If it happened before, what if it happens again?!”

King Quincy took a step forward. “We are all safe here. What happened earlier this week will not happen again.”

“Rose has gone through so much, but she is going to need all of our help. She needs everyone to show that she is not alone.” Poppy spoke.

Suddenly a lot of trolls started blurting out questions about Rose and the past grey trolls. The leaders tried to settle the crowd down, but didn’t get far. Barb was the only one not doing helping, instead she turned to Branch. “You ready?” She asked him.

He nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” He tossed her a guitar that was next to him.

He watched as Barb walked to the edge of the mushroom. A couple of the rock trolls took a step back, knowing what was coming next. Barb smirked widely before she strung her guitar, the volume overpowered the crowd causing everyone to go silent. “Finally! You all need to shut your mouths and listen to what we have to say! If you have questions wait till the end and we will answer then then! I do not want to hear another word out of any of you until we are finished!” She yelled loudly. She waited a minute, not hearing anyone speak. “Good! You all understand.” She smirked before walking back to her spot.

“Was that really necessary?” Branch asked, seeing her grin as she nodded. Branch walked up to where the leaders were standing. A couple of the trolls up front gave him a confused looked on why he was there, but he ignored them. He glanced at the leaders who nodded to him.

Queen Essence spoke first. “Branch will now speak, and I want you all to listen to him closely.” She told them, before the leaders took a step to the side so Branch could have the stage.

“Thank you.” Branch said to Essence before he turned to the crowd. “Everyone here has been grey once, but that was only for a little while. What you felt then, and what Rose is feeling now is completely different from that. What she is feeling is a thousand times worse than that. She has lost everything she ever knew, she lost the most important people to her. She is feeling lost and alone.” He spoke, before he started hearing trolls question why he was there.

“How do you know how she feels?” He heard a voice call out from the crowd.

Barb raised her arms as if she was get ready to strum her guitar, but the crowd again went silent again. “Do you have to act like that?” Delta muttered under her breath, getting a wide smirk from Barb in return.

“Rose has not spoken since the incident, so she uses a book to write down what she has to say.” He did his best to avoid talking about how he was grey, but he could hear the trolls start to question why he was there. “There have been other grey trolls in the past, that is true. Until now it was not something anyone needed to know. Right now, we all need to focus on Rose.”

Before Branch could continue more trolls started asking questions. As the trolls kept talking, Branch's ears lowered slightly as he tried to think of what to say. He heard a hoof step towards him and looked behind him, seeing a mic flying towards him. He looked up to see Delta giving him an encouraging smile. She tilted her head beside her as Barb was giving him a smirk, her guitar in hand as she started playing. He looked back at the crowd who had quieted down and was staring at him. Branch took a deep breath before he started singing.

Do you ever feel like breaking down?

Do you ever feel out of place

Like somehow you just don't belong

And no one understands you?

Do you ever wanna run away?

Do you lock yourself in your room

With the radio on turned up so loud

That no one hears you're screaming?

No, you don't know what it's like

When nothing feels alright

You don't know what it's like

To be like me

As Branch sang, the crowd went silent as all eyes were on him. He saw a few of the pop trolls look away as he sang.

To be hurt, to feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No, you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

Do you wanna be somebody else?

Are you sick of feeling so left out?

Are you desperate to find something more

Before your life is over?

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?

Are you sick of everyone around?

With their big fake smiles and stupid lies

While deep inside you're bleeding

No, you don't know what it's like

When nothing feels alright

You don't know what it's like

To be like me

To be hurt, to feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No, you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

No one ever lied straight to your face

And no one ever stabbed you in the back

You might think I'm happy, but I'm not gonna be okay

Everybody always gave you what you wanted

You never had to work, it was always there

You don't know what it's like, what it's like

Pity? Confusion? Branch saw so many different expressions he wasn’t sure what the other trolls were thinking. He saw the K-pop trolls watching him with wide eyes. He couldn’t help but look away as he continued to sing. Branch felt guilty for not telling his newer friends. At the same time the more he sang, the more the confidence grew.

To be hurt, to feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No, you don't know what it's like (What it's like)

To be hurt, to feel lost

To be left out in the dark

To be kicked when you're down

To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down

And no one's there to save you

No, you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life

Welcome to my life

Welcome to my life

Everyone was silent after the song ended. Branch panted slightly as he caught his breath. “Do any of you know what it’s like to truly be alone? To be in the middle of a crowd, but to feel completely invisible? To have everyone around you smiling as bright as the sun, but you feel like you’re in complete darkness? I do. I know what it’s like to be absolutely alone.” He paused for a moment. “For twenty years, I was grey.”

Branch could hear the trolls gasp. He saw many of the pop trolls lowered their ears as he talked. “Back when the pop trolls were caged by the Bergen’s, my grandmother was the last one to be taken. She was taken because I was singing, and it caught their chefs attention. She was the only family I had. She was my entire world, I lost everything that day. A week later, we had to leave. That meant I had to leave my pod we shared, and we escaped here. At that point I believed it was my fault, that because of my singing she sacrificed herself to save me. Everything was so new to everyone, I got lost in everything. There was so much work to be done, that no one was able to take care of me for long. Back then, I got it. I was grey. No one wanted a troll who was grey. Everyone wanted to forget about the Bergen’s, but I was just a reminder of what everyone went through. I knew that, even at the age of five I knew that. Over the years I learned to do everything for myself, and I feared the Bergen’s finding us that I built my heavily fortified Bergen proof survival bunker.”

Branch took a moment, looking around as he saw every troll was listening patiently. He couldn’t help but smile slightly before he continued. “I was bullied, because I was grey. Rumors spread saying that I was contagious, that if they got near me they would turn grey. It’s not true, but I believed it. I started staying away from other trolls, thinking I was protecting them from myself. There were some who did try and take me in, but I pushed everyone away. I believed that if anyone got close to me, that they would somehow die because of me. I couldn’t take that again. I couldn’t take the loss of someone else I loved. I couldn’t take the loss of anyone. Over the first few years I became very depressed and paranoid because of being grey. For days I wouldn’t eat. It became hard to sleep, because the nightmares felt so real. My paranoia grew so bad that I started hallucinating that Bergen’s found us. When I hallucinated, I would run to the village to warn everyone. Every time I ruined a party because of my alerts, they were all real to me even though no one else believed me.”

Branch stopped. He saw a few of the troll's eyes widened as the pop trolls remembered his alerts. “I wasn’t trying to scare, or try to ruin any parties because of my alerts. I felt that my village was in trouble, and I wanted to try and warn everyone so no one got hurt. All I ever wanted was for everyone to be safe. I know now that a lot of what I did was extreme, but back then I couldn’t stop it. Being grey for twenty years still effects me to this day. My ears are permanently pointed down. There are nights that I still have nightmares and can’t sleep. There are days that I can’t handle anything, and hide away in my bunker so I don’t ruin anyone’s day. I’m still very paranoid. Even though I know it’s crazy, I still think the worst will happen. I still think that at times I’m a burden, and that someone is going to get hurt because of me. That will never go away, but I can handle it better now. It’s become a part of me to always worry, to always be on the lookout for whatever may happen. There was a reason no one talked about until now. I was a terrible troll. I was very mean and rude to many of the others. It was never important for anyone to know about, until now. Now, there is a child who is lost and needs help from everyone.”

Branch looked around as he saw many expressions change from pity, to determination. “Rose is not me. Rose will not turn out like I did. I may have been grey before, but they were under different circumstances. I don’t want anyone's perspective of Rose to change because of how I acted in the past. She is a great kid. She may be grey, but she is still a child. She is scared, lost, and alone.”

Queen Essence took a step towards Branch, causing him to turn to her. “What can we do to help her?”

“Well, she is only comfortable with me and Queen Poppy right now. If you ever find her alone and look scared, come find one of us. It would be a rare chance if that happens, but it could. She startled easily because of what happened, so absolutely no surprises when she’s around. She got scared of the thunder the other night, so any loud noises that can be prevented would be appreciated. If a situation is too much for her to handle she will want to leave, so let her. Don’t feel bad that she wants to leave, and don’t make her feel bad for leaving. If she’s had enough, then she’s had enough. Let her have her space if she needs it.”

Branch stopped talking and looked up at his hair. He put his mic down and reached into his hair and pulled out a piece of paper. “Oh, right. Rose is still a kid, no matter what colour she is. She wants to go and play with others. If you have children, try and help them understand that she is no different than them. She still wants to play. She wants to bake cupcakes, colour in books, and read stories. She loves stories. She doesn’t want the other kids to ignore her or bully her. She also can’t talk, so she has a harder time trying to communicate. She has her book with her that she writes in, but it takes her some time to write in it. If you by chance are talking to her, be patient with her and let her write her response. This isn’t something that will be gone in a day. It will take time. I don’t know how long it will take, maybe a few months, or years. She is going to need everyone’s support, and I hope she has.”

Branch looked around, slowly putting the mic down as he finished. After a minute of silence, soft clapping and hoof steps came from a few country trolls. As more of the country trolls clapped, the rock trolls started joining in with the funk trolls not far behind. The techno trolls soon starred clapping along with the others. Branch looked around, confused on why it looked like almost everyone was clapping. He soon felt a hand on his shoulder, looking over to see Delta was next to him. He looked beside her to see Trollex, Trollzart, and Barb. He looked on the other side of him to see Poppy, Essence, and Quincy. He looked back out to the crowd, seeing only a handful of pop trolls not clapping. He couldn’t help but feel warm inside, he finally had other trolls that supported him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Finally, here is chapter 19! I can’t believe I’m writing chapter twenty already! Thank you all so much for the support!
> 
> Big thanks to WildKat25, she helped me a lot with this chapter with Tresillo and even wrote out the Barb and Poppy scenarios for me to use and base it off! 
> 
> Anyways, on with the story! I don’t own Trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Branch watched as most of the trolls started to leave. He took a few steps back, taking a deep breath as his hand shook. He felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see his pink troll next to him. “How are you doing, Branch?” Poppy asked, gently rubbing his arm as she gave him a smile.

He gave her a smile in return. “I just can’t believe I said all that in front of everyone.” He placed a hand on hers, squeezing it tightly.

“I think you did a great Branch.” Queen Essence smiled as she stood behind Poppy. “You explained the situation very well, and it’s not too hard to understand how we can help Rose.” 

“It went very well. I’m glad you were the one to give the speech Branch.” King Quincy said, standing next to his wife. “We will take our leave now. If you have questions or need any help, don’t hesitate to talk to us.” He gave Branch a smile before he started walking away with Essence behind him.

“The song went amazing as well. It takes a lot of courage to do what you just did.” Delta walked over to them with Barb behind her. “Well Sugar, Why don’t you and Rose come to the park tomorrow? I will be taking Clampers there, they could play for a bit. How does that sound?”

Branch nodded. “That would be nice. Thank you Delta.” He smiled at her. Delta leaned down and wrapped her arms around Branch, shocking him as he hugged her back.

“Great.” She said when she pulled back, smiling before she looked over at Poppy who was staring at her in awe. “Come here Poppy.” She laughed, holding her arms out.

“Yes!” Poppy cheered as she hugged Delta. After a moment Delta pulled back, chuckling at the excited queen.

“We better go, we will see y'all tomorrow.” She started walking away as Clampers peered from out of her hair to wave them goodbye. 

“Bye!” Poppy waved enthusiastically back as they walked away. Poppy turned back to Branch, her grin growing. “They understand! I mean, I knew they would but still! They understand.” She wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek.

“I would still be cautious if I were you. There were a couple dozen or so that either didn’t clap or only clapped because others were. Most of them were pop trolls.” Barb said, her arms crossed.

Poppy turned to her as her grin vanished. Before she could speak Branch nodded. “Yeah, I saw quite a few as well. Most of them were older and they were ones that never liked me. It’s not something that every troll will get used to in an hour, and I knew that. It will take time, but it seemed that most of the trolls understood what was needed. All I can hope for is that they give Rose space.”

Barb nodded. “If anyone gives her any trouble, let me know.” She crosses her arms. “Anyways, Carol and I are going to practice again tonight. Do you want to join Popcorn?” She looked over at her.

“Oh, i'd love to!” Poppy grinned, before turning to Branch. “Are you heading back home for the night?” 

“Yeah, I think we will.” He said, seeing a few trolls over her shoulder. “Have a good time. I’ll see you later, or tomorrow morning. I know they sometimes run late into the night.” He kissed her cheek, feeling Rose pat his head. He reached up and took her out of his hair. “Poppy has to go, but you will see her later.” He told her as Rose frowned, looking at Poppy. 

Poppy reached out and took her from Branch’s arm. “I’ll be back later, maybe around supper time or a little bit after. Okay?” She gave her a hug, feeling Rose's little arm hugging her back. After a minute Poppy placed her back in Branch’s arm. Rose frowned, reaching towards Poppy. Poppy gently took her hand and placed her nose against Roses. Rose looked down at her nose, scrunching it slightly from the touch as Poppy took a step back. “I’ll see you later Rose.” She smiled, before turning around and starting pushing Barb along. “Quick. If I look back, I may not be able to leave.” Barb looked at her confused as she heard whimpering, looking over her shoulder to see Rose reaching towards Poppy.

Branch looked down at Rose. “She will be back soon. Don’t worry.” He said, causing her to look up at him with a frown on her face. “There are some trolls over there who want to talk to me, and they may want to meet you. Would you be okay with that? There are only three of them.” He turned her to see the three reggaeton trolls standing by the side of the mushroom. Rose looked at the other trolls, before looking back at Branch. “If you don’t want to, you can stay in my hair and we can head back after I’m finished talking.” Rose looked back at the trolls, before pointing to his hair. “Alright. You can stay up there, if you want to come out just let me know.” He placed her in his hair and made his way towards the reggaeton trolls. 

Tresillo was leaning against the mushroom with his arms crossed when he saw Branch walking towards them. He straightened up when Branch got closer. “Hey Branch.”

“Hey.” Branch replied, stopping a few steps in front of them.

An awkward silence fell upon them before Tresillo spoke. “So, that guest that is staying with you is the kid?” 

Branch nodded. “Yeah, Rose is going to be staying with me for a while.” He looked away, unsure of what they were thinking.

“How has she been adjusting? It’s been a few days now.” Tambora asked.

Branch could hear the concern in her voice. “She’s settling in okay. She’s still getting used to being underground.” He replied.

“Why didn’t you tell us that she was your guest?” Tresillo asked, causing the three of them to look at him.

“I wanted to tell you but I didn’t know how you would react to her, or how she would react to other trolls knowing she was at my bunker. I was going to let you know before the speech but I ended up staying for the whole meeting.” He explained.

Everyone fell silent as they looked at eachother. Tresillo soon broke the silence. “We’re friends right?” He asked suddenly, surprising Branch.

Branch rubbed the back of his neck nervously, not sure where the talk was heading towards. “Yeah, we’re friends.” Branch confirmed, looking at him.

Tresillo took a few steps towards Brach, standing in front of him. “If there’s anything you need, let us know. We all come from big families, so we have some experience with children.” Tresillo held his hand towards him, a small smile on his lips. 

Branch slowly lifted his hand and placed it in Tresillo. “Thanks man. I appreciate it.” He smiled, shaking his hand. “You have experience with kids? I haven’t seen you around any before.” Branch asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Tresillo shrugged. “Yeah, they’re a lot of work so I tend to stay away from them. Tambora really likes kids. Marimba and I got tired of always babysitting our cousins, but if you help we will try our best. What are friends for, right?” He smiled.

Branch couldn’t help but smile back. “Thanks Tresillo.” Before Branch could say anything else, he froze slightly. He glanced up at his hair when he felt Rose moving in his hair. He felt her peek out of his hair, looking at the other trolls before going back into hiding. 

“She’s in your hair? Was she in there the whole time?” Marimba asked, taking a step closer. 

“Yeah, she’s been in there for a while. She’s still shy around others.” Branch replied.

“Could we meet her? If she’s okay with it?” Tambora asked, looking up at his hair.

Branch looked up at his hair, waiting a moment to see what Rose wanted to do. Rose lifted her hand out of his hair and gave a quick wave before retreating her hand back into his hair. Branch has a small smile before taking a step back. “One minute.” He told them before turning around and walked a few more steps away from them. “Hey Twig, come on out for a minute.” He reached in, letting her grab his hand before helping her out of his hair. “Do you want to meet my friends? You don’t have to, if you don’t want to.” He saw her fidgeting with her binder as she looked away slightly. “You don’t have to, maybe another day.” He gave her a smile.

Rose looked up at Branch, then glanced over at the other trolls who started talking to each other. Rose pointed to her hair, confusing Branch. She opened her binder and started writing. ‘Hair.’ She turned to show him, causing him to nod.

“Their hair is cool, isn’t it? They’re reggaeton trolls. The blue one is Tresillo, the orange one is Marimba, and the green one is Tambora.” He saw Rose glance over at them once more. “Do you want to say hi? We can bring one over at a time, if that’s easier?” Rose looked back at him and nodded. Branch could help but smile down at her. “I will be right here, and if it’s so much just let me know. We can head to the bunker whenever you want.” Rose took his hand and gave it a squeeze. She let go of his hand and held her bear tightly. “It will be okay. I’m right here if you need anything.” He said, gently rubbing her back before he turned to the other trolls. “Could one of you come here?” He called out to them. 

All three of them took a step. They all stopped and looked between each other. Both Tambora and Marimba took a step back. “Go on, we will wait.” Tambora smiled as Tresillo nodded. 

Tresillo walked over to Branch and sat down in front of him. Branch turned slightly, reaching behind him as a small head peeked from behind him. “Rose, this is Tresillo. Tresillo, this is Rose.”

Tresillo looked over at Rose, who hid slightly behind Branch. “Hello little one.” Tresillo said, giving her a smile. Rose stayed hiding behind Branch, waving at him. 

Branch soon spoke to try and break the silence. “She thinks your hair is cool.” He said, feeling Roses grip on him tighten. 

Tresillo looked at Branch before looking back at Rose. “Oh, you like our hair? If Tambora hears that, she will want to do your hair.” He said, seeing Rose come out a bit farther.

“Why don’t we get Tambora over here? Is that okay Rose?” Branch asked her, seeing her nod slightly as she stayed behind him.

Tambora slowly walked over when she heard her name. She sat down next to Tresillo when she saw Roses grey hair. “You must be Rose. I’m Tambora. It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled at the child who peeked out from behind Branch. Rose gave her a small wave, which a Tambora returned. 

Rose kept a grip on Branch’s vest, looking up at him. “Come on out, it's okay.” Branch whispered to her, smiling as he offered her his hand. Rose took his hand and squeezed it tightly before taking a step out from behind him.

“That’s a cute bag, and a cute bear!” Tambora said, pointing to the binder at Roses side. Rose looked down at her bear, letting go of Branch’s hand to pick up her bear that was in the pocket. She held her bear towards Tambora, showing off her bear. “Oh it’s so cute, does your bear have a name?” 

Rose nodded, taking another step towards her so she was standing in front of Branch. She pulled her binder up and turned to a page with Bebe written on it to show Tambora. “Bebe? That’s such a nice name.”

Rose nodded again, putting her binder back to her side and held her bear close to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose spotted Marimba's hands moving. She looked behind Tambora to see Maimba dancing by herself as she waited. Rose watched her for a moment, fascinated by the way Marimba's arms and legs moved as she danced. She reached back to tap Branch’s leg to get his attention. Once she saw he was looking at her, she pointed to Marimba.

Branch looked over at Marimba, seeing her dancing. “Marimba is dancing, is that what you’re pointing to?” Branch looked down to see Rose nodding.

Marimba stopped when she saw the others watching her. She started to head over when Branch motioned her over, sitting next to Tambora. “This is Rose, and this is Marimba.” Branch told her.

“Hi La Niña.” Marimba said, causing Rose and Branch to give her a confused look. Rose held up her book, pointing to her name written on the page. 

The three reggaeton trolls looked at the paper and chuckled slightly. “La Nina is like a nickname. It means little girl.” Tambora smiled down at Rose. 

“Pequena is another nickname, meaning little girl as well.” Tresillo explained. “It is more formal than La Niña.”

Rose stared at them in surprise. She pointed to herself, seeing them nod as they assured her that the nicknames were for her. Rose quickly wrote in her book before holding it up. ‘Twig.’ She held it up to the others before showing Branch. 

Branch looked down at Rose, nodding slightly. “Yeah, like Twig. Your nicknames.” Branch told her as he saw the others looking at him. “I started calling her Twig the other day, I thought it was better than kid.” 

Tambora couldn’t help but grin. “That is the cutest nickname!”

Marimba nodded, smiling as well. “That’s a very fitting name.” She said, before seeing Rose staring at her. “Um..” She mumbled quietly.

“I think she liked your dancing earlier.” Branch explained, smiling at Marimba. 

“Well, if you like that why don’t we perform a song for you?” Tresillo offered as he stood up, Tambora and Marimba behind him. He walked a few steps away from Branch and Rose, stopped when he was a good distance away. 

Rose watched with anticipation as they started dancing. Her eyes glued to the movement of the trolls, taking a step closer to watch them. Branch couldn’t help but smile as he watched Roses ears perk up as she watched the reggaeton dance. 

As the dancing came to an end, the three trolls were pointing to Rose. Rose jumped in surprise at the attention on her, taking a few steps back so she was on Branch’s lap. Tresillo knelt down in front of her, causing Rose to look at him. “Next time, you will join us and be our big finish.” Tresillos words shocked Rose. She stared at him, her mouth opened lightly as she brought her finger to her chest. “Yes you. Next time, Branch is going to join us and you will be our big finale. Okay?” 

Rose looked up at Branch, seeing him nod slightly. She looked back at Tresillo and nodded sheepishly, hiding her face into Branch’s arm. Branch stood up, holding Rose in his arms. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” Branch told them, seeing Rose trying to hide her yawn. “I think we’re going to head back.” 

“You don’t have to thank us.” Tresillo said after standing up as well. “If you need help or anything, let us know.”

“I will.” Branch said, before rolling down at Rose. “Wave bye Rose. We’re going to go back to the bunker now.” He told her. Rose looked up slightly and waved to them, getting a wave from them in return. 

“See you later La Niña.” Tambora smiled at her as she waved. 

Branch turned around as he made his way back to the bunker, not seeing the eyes that were watching them. Once Branch and Rose left, Tresillo turned with his arms crossed. “They’re gone. You can all come out now.” He said, hearing a giggle once he finished speaking.

“How long did you know we were there Tracey?” A voice came as five trolls walked out from the bushes. 

Tresillo sighed at the nickname and ignored it. “The whole time. It’s good you gave them space, all of us would have been too overwhelming for Rose to handle.” 

The girls were silent for a second. “We weren’t sure if we should have or not, we didn’t know what to expect.” Ari explained, looking at the others.

“We want to be good friends and help, but most of us haven’t been around my kids. Let alone one that has gone through something like this.” Kim-Petit said. 

“We all came from big families, we can give you some pointers on dealing with kids.” Tambora offered.

Wani looked at her, then to Tresillo. “You're good with kids? You?” She raised an eyebrow as she stared at him.

“I always got stuck babysitting the little cousins. It happens when you’re from a big family.” He shrugged, seeing Wani take a step closer to him. 

“Being good with kids is a good trait to have.” Wani giggles slightly, seeing Tresillo trying to keep a straight face as blush creeped onto his cheeks. “I always wanted a big family.” She whispered as she walked by him, keeping her back turned to him when he turned to face her. She could hear the other Kpop girls giggle as Tambora and Marimba rolling their eyes. “So, how do we help Branch and Rose? You three talked to them.” She asked before Tresillo could say anything.

“Well…” Tambora smiled.

——————————————————

Barb finished her guitar solo as the song came to an end, grinning as she saw Carol and Poppy looking at her. “Alright, let’s take five before the next song.” Barb put her guitar down and went to the fridge to get water. She looked over at Poppy out of the corner of her eye, seeing the pink queen checking her hug watch for the eighth time since they got to rehearsal. 

Poppy looked up from her hug watch and smiled. “Can you hand me one as well?” She asked Barb, who tossed her a bottle of water.

Barb pretended to look at the time as she picked up a can of cheese. “Well, I didn’t realize it was this late. I have stuff I have to go do, why don’t we cut it short for today?” She tossed Carol the can of cheese before she could say anything.

“What do you have planned?” Poppy asked curiously. 

“I have to retune my guitars and help my dad with some stuff later.” Barb replied, taking a drink of her water.

Poppy was silent for a minute, looking at Barb as she heard Carol squeezing the can of cheese into her mouth. She looked over to see Carol was sitting on the couch, resting her head against the back of it. She looked back at Barb who was avoiding looking at her, leaning against the fridge as she drank her water. Poppy grinned. “Alright, I guess we can practice later. What about tomorrow?”

Barb glanced over at her. “We will see. I think I’m busy tomorrow.” She said, her water still to her mouth. “Maybe next week or something. I’m sure you’re busy with the kid and Boy Toy. They probably miss you or something. She really did not want you to leave earlier. You better hurry back.” She walked over to the couch Carol was sitting on, standing in front of it as she turned to Poppy.

Poppys grinned widened as she quickly walked over and hugged Barb. “Aww, thanks Barb! I know both Rose and Branch will be happy to see me back earlier than expected.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Enough hugging.” Barb said after a minute. “You really took a shine to her, huh? I know she took quite a liking to you.” Barb smiled at her. 

Poppy blushed slightly. “Yeah, she is a real sweetheart! And did the cutest thing with her nose when I said goodbye earlier, she scrunched it after I touched it with mine. She is so cute.” Poppy grinned as she spoke, seeing Barb smirking. “What?” 

“Nothing. Next time, bring the kid.” Barb said, surprising Poppy.

“You want me to bring Rose?”

“Yeah, I’m sure bringing her will keep you less distracted then you today. She could even join in if she felt like it sometimes. How about it Carol?” Barb turned to Carol, seeing her shrug as she ate more of the cheese. “Carol agrees. Bring her next time, it will be cool!” Barb sat down on the couch next to Carol, crossing her legs as she relaxed.

Poppy thought for a moment before smiling. “I’ll ask her and see what she says! Branch could get some alone time that way. Thanks you two.” Poppy grinned, holding her arms out wide. She wrapped her arms around the two rock girls, getting loud groans in return. “You two will like it eventually!” She said as she let go, grinning as she picked up her stuff. 

“Before you leave.” Barb stopped her, still sitting on the couch. “I’m going to keep an eye out about those certain pop trolls who didn’t like Branch’s speech. I recommend keeping an eye on Branch and Rose in case anything happens as well. I know you don’t like any sort of violence or bullying, but it’s good to keep it in mind with Rose. Those particular Pop trolls looked like trouble to me and if they were bullies to Branch you can bet they will be trouble."

"To a child? Come on Barb it seems excessively mean to go from Branch to Rose," Poppy attempted to rationalize.

Barb licked her sharp teeth, "Any of those bullies have kids now? I would bet my guitar that some of those bullies taught their kids to avoid Grey Trolls. Branch's speech was important, but it also highlighted potential targets against Rose, Poppy." Barb stared straight into Poppy's eyes, and Poppy knew that Barb believed what she just said and she had a creeping fear she might be right.

Poppy stood stunned, "You really believe that? You honestly think some trolls would hold a grudge against Branch that long?"

Barb sighed, "You aren't listening, this has to do with Branch RAISING a grey child, like he himself was. Clearly, Branch is the best choice to parent, besides you, to Rose," Poppy couldn't help but blush in agreement, "but how many who bullied him think he might teach her the bad behaviours he couldn't control because of circumstances? Or even worse, which of the elderly ones still teach that greyness is contagious like an illness? Branch mentioned a Creek guy once would use his greyness to explain "negative energy" to convince others to leave him. That true?"

"Yes, but Creek was a village traitor and was undeserving of the trust he gained from the others.... including the trust I personally and wrongly placed on him through his manipulation of me against Branch at times ... but Rose...?"

Poppy just couldn't wrap her head around what Barb was saying. Rose was sweet, curious, well-behaved and innocent. To be targeted because of being grey left her feeling colder to those trolls who might hurt in ignoring them at the speech; but a hot, white fire burst in her chest at the thought that just because Branch was raising Rose that he wouldn't do anything and everything to prevent Rose from going through what he had growing up just caused a burst of righteous anger against those who would question him.

Barb couldn't help but be amazed at the various emotions playing across Poppy's face. When it settled on rage, Brab decided she needed to de-escalate Poppy. "Anyways Pip-squek, we will keep our ears on the ground so we can stop things before they reach Rose, okay?" The soften tone of Barb snapped Poppy out of her anger. "We will do our best to handle things quickly & quietly. Don't be surprised if some Rock trolls challenge a Pop troll to repeat something bad about "being Grey" and get into a fight over it. It's just how us Rock trolls keep harmful harassing down, we punch it out of them. So just ignore those complaints and we should be golden!"

"Barb!" Growled Poppy.

"Okay FINE! They will get challenges in an arm wrestling match and depending on what was said someone might get hurt," Barb sniffed unsympathetically.

Poppy sigh exasperated, "Just make sure the person actually disagrees with greyness and you aren't hurting people who just mention the fact that Rose is grey. Clearly common knowledge, so people will talk. But I guess having a couple sets of ears won't hurt. I just really don't want you guys hurting people who don't deserve it.”

"Yeah, I see what you are laying down Poppy. I’ll talk to the other rock trolls to show mercy, no one will get hurt unless it is absolutely necessary.” 

Poppy sighed again. “Thank you Barb.” She looked at her, the corner of her lips lifting to a smile. “I really appreciate you looking out for Rose.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Go home already.” Barb waved lazily as she relaxed more into the couch. “See ya later.” She said as Poppy made her way back home.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> Chapter twenty! I can’t believe it! I want to thank everyone for reading this story, I love reading all your comments.   
> This chapter is short compared to others, but the next one will be longer! With the help of Wildkat25, the next chapter will be really good!! I can't wait to write it. I have gotten busy going back to work, but I will try to have a new chapter out every two weeks.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I don’t own Trolls but Rose is my oc.

Poppy made her way down the elevator to the main level of Branch’s bunker, humming to herself. She stopped when she heard a small bell go off. Poppy looked down at the elevator confused as she reached the main floor. She looked around to see Branch stuffing things she couldn’t see in a box as Rose bounced on the table excitedly. “What do you have there Branch?” She asked, seeing him tense slightly. “And what was the bell earlier?”

“It’s nothing!” Branch said, placing Rose in the ground so she could go to Poppy. Branch picked up the box and went to put it away in the bedroom.

Poppy knelt down and picked Rose up when she reached her. “Hello little Rose! I told you I wouldn’t be long, it was only a few hours.” She hugged the trolling close, feeling Rose nuzzle into her. “Oh I missed you too!” She cuddled her close as she kept an eye on Branch when he came back into the room. “What were you and Branch doing?” 

Rose leaned back and held her finger to her mouth. “Good job Rose. It’s a surprise, so don’t go snooping around Poppy.” He pointed to her.

Poppy pouted, looking over at him. “What? Me? Snoop? I wouldn’t go snooping.” She grinned as she peered towards the bedroom. “What were you doing?” She asked again.

Branch chuckled as he stood in front of her, placing a hand on her waist as he leaned towards. “I’m not going to tell you. That bell was so I would know you were on your way down, so I had time to hide it.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips. He turned to head towards the kitchen. “So, Delta gave me this interesting recipe and ingredients for a burger the other day. Do you want to try that for supper?” Branch asked as he walked to the kitchen, searching for the recipe. 

Poppy poured as she followed him into the kitchen. “Come on! Tell me! I can keep a secret.” She looked over to see Rose still holding her finger to her lips. “What? I can’t know?” 

Branch looked at her. “Exactly. You can't know. It’s a surprise for you, so you can't go snooping.” He explained, seeing her eyes widened in excitement.

“For me? You have a surprise for me? Oh, I can't wait! Can I get a hint?” She bounces on her heels as she grinned. 

Branch laughed, taking Rose from her arms. “No. No hints and no looking around for hints. You will have to wait and see. Right Rose?” He looked at her to see her nodded. “Now, how about those burgers?” He asked, placing Rose on the counter so he could start preparing the food.

Poppy quickly wrapped her arms around him before he could do anything. “Wait! I never got a proper kiss!” She leaned towards him.

Branch let out a soft chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her. He brought his lips to hers, feeling her melting into him as he brought her closer. Poppys arms went around his neck, bringing him deeper into the kiss. After a minute she pulled back, a wide grin on her lips. “Much better.” She took a step back and went to the fridge. “So, what did you two do while I was out?” She asked as she pulled out a jug of watermelon juice.

“Rose met Tresillo, Tambora, and Marimba. She really liked their dancing.” Branch said as Rose pointed to their hair. “And likes their hair. Apparently they all come from big families, so they are good with kids.” He added. “We came back here so she could have a nap. As she napped I made some more of the juice for you two.” He looked over to see her pouring two cups.

“Oh, you met Branch’s friends? That’s great!” Poppy grinned as she handed Rose her cup. “They’re lucky, I always wanted to have a big family. I always wished for a brother or sister.” She said to herself as she put the juice back in the fridge.

Branch glanced over at her, blushing slightly at the thought of a big family. “For supper, what do you want on your burger? And what side dish do you want?”

“Peanut butter!” Poppy grinned, causing Branch to stare at her. “What? Peanut butter is good!” 

“On the burger or on the side? Either way, it’s a weird combination. A salad with nuts is a good option, but peanut butter?” He raised an eyebrow as she took out a glass jar of peanut butter.

“It’s really good! Don't knock it till you’ve tried it!” She put some peanut butter on her bun as Branch fried the patties. 

He shrugged. “It’s your burger, add what you want. What about you Rose?” He looked down at her to see her trying to put ketchup on the buns. He watched her for a moment, seeing her face light up when she finally got some ketchup on her burger. “Good job, can you put some on mine?” He asked, seeing her nod and went straight to work. Branch smiled as she squeezed ketchup on the burger bun, smiling at her accomplishment. “Thank you Rose, that looks perfect.” He praised her. “So Poppy, how was the practice today?”

Poppy grinned. “It was great! Barb suggested that Rose comes with me next time! How about that Rose? Would you want to come see us practice? You could help us out!” Poppy leaned towards Rose as she clapped. “Oh you’re such a good helper! You could even learn an instrument if you wanted to and be part of our girl group.” Poppy picked her up, getting more excited as she spun Rose around.

“Okay, okay. No spinning in this kitchen. Someone could get hurt.” Branch stopped Poppy from spinning, leading her towards the table. “The food is almost ready, so sit and relax for a minute so we can eat.” He chuckled as he saw Poppy skip to the table to get ready. Branch went back to the stove to finish preparing the rest of the meal.

~

Branch laid on the couch a while after they finished eating. He glanced over to see Poppy eating a cupcake. “How are you still eating? I’m still stuffed from dinner.” He groaned slightly.

“Just a little dessert, I split it with Rose.” She said as she put the remains of the cupcake in her mouth, looking over to see Rose licking the icing off her cupcake. “Always good to finish a meal with a little bit of cupcake icings!” She grinned as she leaned onto the couch. 

Branch chuckled as he shook his head. “You two and your cupcakes.” He muttered as he closed his eyes.

After a minute he felt Poppy moving at the end of the couch. He waited a minute as he felt her moving closer to him. Branch opened one eye to see Poppy hovering over him. “What are you doing?” 

“Trying to find the best spot.” She grinned down at him. She kissed his cheek before laying down on his stomach, her head in his chest. “Perfect.” She muttered to herself as she closed her eyes, snuggling her head into his chest.

Branch placed an arm around her waist, smiling as he felt her move closer to him. “Yeah, perfect.” He repeated, kissing the top of her head. He gently rubbed her arm as he felt her breathing even out, seeing her eyes close as she fell asleep.

After a few minutes Branch felt a small tug on his hand, looking over to see Rose holding his hand. She let go of his to reach towards him. “Come on up Twig.” Branch smiled as he lifted her onto the couch. He watched as Rose hesitated for a moment, before slowly crawling over to his chest and laid down next to Poppy. Branch placed an arm around Rose to keep her from falling. He glanced between the two trolls and smiled when he realized they both fell asleep. He let out a content sigh and closed his eyes.

~~~

The next morning Branch prepared the food for the picnic as Poppy and Rose slept in. He hummed to himself as he finished prepping the items when he heard shuffling coming from down the hall. He peered around the corner to see Rose walking down the hall towards his bedroom. “Hey Twig, I’m in the kitchen.” He called, seeing Rose turn at the sound of his voice.

Rose immediately headed towards the kitchen, seeing him pouring some juice into a cup. She reached towards him when she got into the kitchen. Branch lifted her up and sat her on the counter. “Did I wake you?” He asked as he handed her the cup. She shook her head in response before taking a sip. “Breakfast is almost finished, and Poppy should be up soon. Are you hungry?” He asked as she nodded again. “Good, you’re going to want the energy today. We’re going to the park to meet up with Delta and Clampers.” He smiled at her. 

“I may be a bit late joining you all.” Poppy's voice came, causing them both to turn their heads in her direction. “I have to go talk to King Trollex and the snack pack. I told him I’d help him find a new beat. We never got around to it yesterday.” She walked over and wrapped her arms around Branch, kissing him a soft kiss. “Good morning honey.” She grinned.

“Good morning Sunshine. Did you sleep well? You didn’t even move when I got up this morning. Normally you’re asking me to stay longer.” He kissed her cheek as he pulled her closer to him. 

“I was really tired yesterday, but I slept great!” She looked over at Rose, letting go of Branch to pick Rose up. “And good morning to you Rose! Are you excited about the park? It’s going to be a lot of fun!” Poppy grinning as she hugged Rose.

Rose hugged her back, resting her head on her shoulder. After a moment Rose lifted her head and lifted her binder and started writing. She turned the paper to show them the word ‘Swings’.

“Swings? Those are the best! We will definitely go on the swings.” Poppy smiled as she walked over to the table with Rose in hand. “First we need to get that yummy smelling food in your belly! Branch, what did you make?” She turned to look at Branch placing pancakes.

“You’re favorite, pancakes.” He smiled more when she grinned. He walked over and placed their plates in front of them. “Just how you like it.” He kissed her cheek before going to get his plate.

After they finished eating, Branch packed the food in his bag. “Come on, we should head out now.” He called, hearing Rose quickly walking into the room. “Ready to go?” He smiled down at her as she nodded. “Poppy, come on. You’re going to be late.” 

“I’m coming, I’m coming. It takes time to get ready you know.” Poppy huffed as she came into the room. 

Branch walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful no matter what my love.” He smiled at her.

Poppy grinned, a light blush warming her cheeks. “And you look very handsome.” She kissed him softly before heading towards the elevator. “Let’s go!” She grinned as Rose followed her. 

He chuckled slightly as he followed them, pulling the lever to head towards the surface. “Do you think you will be back by lunch time?” He asked Poppy. 

“Yeah, I should be done by then. I’ll stop by and let you know if I can’t.” She smiled at him, feeling Rose hug her leg. “I will try to make it for lunch.” She picked Rose up. “How about tomorrow you help me with my duties? You can come with me for the whole day.” She grinned when she saw Rose nodded excitedly. “Perfect! I can't wait for tomorrow.” She hugged her as they started walking towards the village. 

Once the made it to the village Poppy placed Rose in the ground. “I’ll see you soon, okay sweetheart?” She smiled at Rose before standing up and kissed Branch. “I love you Branch.” She said softly, smiling at him. 

“And I love you Poppy.” He gave her a soft smile. “Now, go brighten everyone’s day like you always do.” He kissed her cheek quickly before picking Rose up. Poppy grinned as she started to walk, waving to them as they made their way to the park. Branch stopped at the edge of the park, looking around. “Doesn’t look like they’re here yet. Do you want to wait here by the river for them?” He looked down to see Rose nod. Branch placed Rose on the ground, getting out a water container from his bag. “Since the river is right there, I’m going to get some water. Can you watch our stuff and keep an eye out for Delta?” He saw Rose look around slightly nervous before nodding. “I’ll just be a minute. If you need me just ring your bell, okay?” Branch smiled as he stood up. He saw Rose nod again before he walked over to the lake. 

Rose looked around, keeping an eye on Branch when she heard a tussling in the bush next to her. She jumped back, holding her bear as two pairs of eyes peered at her from in the bush. She held her binder tightly as two older trollings slowly came out from the bush. Rose could see them smiling at her. A shiver ran down Rose's spine as she watched them walk closer to her, even though they were smiling she couldn’t help but feel terrified.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> This chapter took longer than I thought to write, but here is it! Big thanks to WildKat25 for the help with this chapter!  
> I hope you like it!   
> I don’t own Trolls, but Rose is my OC.

Rose was frozen in place as the two trollings walked over to her, their eyes not leaving hers. “Well, what do we have here?” The boy said, looking Rose up and down as she sat on the blanket.

“Looks like the grey thing.” The girl spat out the last two words. Rose stared at them as they hovered over her, unsure of what to do. “Why are you even out here in public? You’re such an eye sour.” She placed her hands on her hips as she spoke.

“Grey isn’t even a colour. Why would you want to come out of that little hole in the ground and ruin everyone's day? Just like him.” He narrowed his eyes as Rose, who narrowed her eyes back.

Rose frowned as she stood up. She took hold of her binder and quickly flipped to the page that had ‘no’ written on it. She held it up towards the boy, seeing him laugh.

“No? You’re not just like him? You both ruin everyone’s day by just being out.” He ripped the page out of the binder, crumbling it into a ball and throwing it on the ground.

Rose's eyes widened as she quickly held the book closer to her. She turned the page to show the word stop. 

“I don’t feel like it.” He smirked as he tried to grab the binder from her. Rose grabbed the strap of the binder and pulled back, letting out a small grunt. As Rose pulled back the strap attached to the binder snapped, causing Rose to fall back onto the ground with a loud thud.

As the boy pulled the binder back, the bell rang loudly. Both the bullies jumped at the sudden sound, taking a step back as the girl looked over at her brother. “We should go.” She whispered loudly.

“Don’t come back around our playground, we don’t want to catch your greyness.” The boy growled slightly as he turned around to leave, tossing her binder to the side. 

As they started to walk away, Clampers stormed in front of them. She growled slightly as she stared at them. “Why did you take Roses stuff? You ripped out her paper. I didn’t see her do anything to you.” Clampers slowly circled them as she made her way between Rose and the bullies.

“We did nothing to her.” The boy said, crossing his arms as he watched Clampers. “She shouldn’t be here.”

“What do you mean she shouldn’t be here? She came to play with me.” Clampers huffed as she stomped her hoof on the ground. “Who says she can’t play here? I have four hoofs! Does that mean I can’t play here?” She stood on her hind legs, making herself taller to the two bullies as she kicked her front legs. 

Rose sat on the ground, staring at the children in front of her as tears came to her eyes. She snapped her head over when she realized Branch was getting closer to her. Branch quickly went to Rose's side, looking her over. “Rose, are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asked, gently moving her arms so he could check for any signs of injuries. He gently lifted her to her feet, seeing her dress was dirty from being on the floor. He gently picked her up and held her to his chest, picking up her binder. “Write down everything they said to you.” Branch looked over when he realized someone was talking. Delta Dawn stood next to a stomping Clampers, between Branch and the two children

“What in hairs name do you two think you’re doing?” She looked down at the trollings with her arms crossed. 

“We are heading to the park.” The boy said, crossing his arms as well.

Delta narrowed her eyes at the child. “Listen child. I do not take well to bullies and liars. Where are your parents? Are they here?” She demanded, seeing the girl step behind her brother.

“They aren’t here.” He replied, looking away from Delta.

“Where are they? What are their names? I would like a word with them.” She stomped her hoof, causing the boy to lower his ears and look down. The boy stayed silent as Delta kept watching them. 

“Rose?! Branch?!” Poppy's voice came a short distance away. 

Branch’s ears perked up when he heard Poppy's voice. “Poppy?” He called back, hearing leaves rustling from a nearby bush.

“Delta? Jay? Eva?” Poppy came through a bush, seeing Branch and Clampers with Delta. “What’s happening here? I heard Roses bell.” She explained, walking towards Delta as Barb came out from behind the bush as well.

“That bell was loud! I was over tuning my guitar when I heard it, and not long after I saw Poppy running over here.” Barb stopped when she saw Branch looking down at Rose. “Yo man, what’s wrong? Where’s Rose?” 

“I saw these two kids bullying Rose.” Delta's voice came, answering Barb's questions.

Poppy and Barb stared at Delta, shocked from what they heard. “What? They were bullying Rose?” Poppy looked over at the two children whose ears lowered. 

“We didn’t do anything.” Jay frowned as he ran behind Poppy, holding her leg as Eva held the other leg as she sniffled. 

Poppy knelt down and rubbed their back. “What happened here you two?” She said as she gently pushed them in front of her so she could see them. 

“She pushed my sister.” Jay frowned, pointing to Rose in Branch’s arms. Eva stood beside him, tears in her eyes as she remained still. 

“That doesn’t sound right.” Barb muttered, looking over to see Rose frowning at Jay's answer as she clung to Branch.

“Rose pushed Eva?” Poppy raised an eyebrow as she questioned it. Jay nodded, crossing his arms again. Poppy looked over the crying girl, seeing no dirt on her. “I don’t see any dirt on Eva. If Rose pushed her, she would have dirt on her pants.”

Jay looked away slightly which didn’t go unnoticed by Poppy. “I caught her. So no dirt.”

“I see.” Poppy said, seeing a page from Roses binder blowing in the wind behind Jay. “What’s this?” She picked up the paper, seeing it was written by Rose. “Why is this ripped out of Roses binder?” She asked.

“Rose fell. I helped her up by grabbing the book. Page ripped.” He said shortly, getting frustrated with all the questioning. 

“Rose fell? Is she okay?” Poppy turned around quickly to look at Branch who nodded slightly to say Rose was okay. Poppy looked back at the two children, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Rose would not push anyone, she’s much smaller than you two. With her broken arm she wouldn’t have the strength to push Eva.” She noticed Eva hiding behind her brother more, still crying from the angry look from Delta and Barb. “Jay. You can not lie to me. Why were you bullying Rose? I’m sure Rose did nothing to you.” 

“I saw the whole thing.” Delta piped up, causing Poppy to look at her. “Rose was sitting on the blanket when these two youngins showed up and started talking to her. I couldn’t hear what they did, but when Rose stood up and held the book up I could tell she was upset. I saw y’all rip that page out of her book, and grab the book right out of her hands. She tried to get it back but the strap broke, causing her to fall back and the bell rang.” Delta explained. “Clampers took off runnin’ when she saw Rose fell, and I wasn’t far behind either. I did hear ya say this was your park.” 

“That sounds more like it.” Branch whispered, holding Rose closer to him. “I knew I shouldn’t have left her.”

Barb looked over at Branch. “You can’t stay with her twenty four seven. She's a strong kid, she will learn how to deal with this stuff.”

“She shouldn't have to.” Branch looked at Barb, frowning as he listened to Poppy talk to the kids.

Poppy looked from Delta to the two children. “I am very disappointed in you two! I expected better of you. Lying to me, and bullying. It’s not the troll way!” She frowned, 

Jay pouted as he took a step closer to Poppy. “But Queen Poppy. She’s going to spread her greyness to everyone!” He said as Eva cried harder. “She’s dangerous!”

Rose's ears dropped when she heard Jay's answer. She held onto Branch tighter, burying her face in his arm. Branch looked down at Rose, lifting her up to his shoulder so he could whisper to her. “You aren't dangerous twig.” He gently rubbed her back as he felt her shake in his arms. Rose quickly jumped from his shoulder into his hair, feeling his hair wrap around her.

Poppy frowned at his statement. “Jay, that isn’t true.” She knelt back down and brought the two children closer to her, rubbing Evas back gently. “I’ve spent the past week with Rose, and I’m not grey. All that stuff about grey is not true. It can’t be spread. Rose is a very kind and fun kid to be around. Who even told you that?”

Eva spoke before Jay could stop her. “Daddy, grandpa, and mama.” 

“Eva! Shh!” Jay whispered loudly.

“But it’s Queen Poppy. We should tell her.” Eva whimpered.

Poppy gently brought her into a hug. “It’s the right thing to tell me. If your parents are telling you that stuff, I must have a word with them.” She said, seeing Jay look away. “Because of what happened today I will set up a meeting with your parents, and grandfather as well. Tomorrow at noon, I want you both as well as your family to meet me in the royal pod.” She looked at Jay who refused to look her in the eye. “Do you understand Jay? Tomorrow at noon. If you all don’t come, I will come to you.” 

Jay groaned. “Fine. I’ll tell them.” He said as he looked at her.

Poppy gave him a smile, holding her arm towards him. “Good. Now come here.” She brought them both into a hug as Eva calmed down, hugging her back along with Jay. “You aren't in trouble but what happened today must be discussed with your parents. You two should head home, okay? We will see you tomorrow. Be careful on your way, okay?” She stood up as they headed towards the park. Poppy turned to Delta and Clampers, giving them a smile. “Can you come to the meeting tomorrow?” 

“You’re darn tootin we will be there.” Delta and Clampers both spoke, stomping a hoof on the ground as they crossed their arms.

“I’m coming too.” Barb spoke, causing Poppy to look at her. “I’d like to meet their parents.” She huffed.

Poppy looked over at Branch, who was still sitting on the blanket next to Barb. “Branch? Are you able to make it?”

Branch looked up at her, his ears still lowered from what happened. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” He said, glancing up at his hair.

Poppy stared down at him for a moment, before she walked over to sit next to him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, resting her head on his shoulders. “Are you okay Branch?” 

Branch hugged her back but didn’t respond. “Do you two want to stay for some food?”

Poppy rubbed his back as she pulled back, nodding her head. “I’ll stay.” She gave him a smile.

“What kind of food do ya got?” Barb sat down with a thud, rubbing her hands together as she looked at the basket full of food.

Delta and Clampers sat next to Branch, Delta looking at Branch. “What did you bring?” Delta asked, giving him a smile.

“I brought a few different things.” Branch replies as he started taking the food out and spreading it on the blanket. He took out a bottle and poured a small cup. “Hey Rose, I brought some watermelon juice. Do you want to come out?” He could feel her moving slightly but not coming out of his hair. 

Time passed as they ate in silence. Branch tried to get Rose to come out of his hair to eat, but she refused. He felt a hand on his shoulder, looking over to see Poppy giving him a small smile. “I have to go and find Trollex, I ran off on him earlier. Are you okay if I go?” She asked, seeing him nod in response. “If you need me, I’ll be over at the shops. I’ll see you later babe.” She kissed his cheek before standing up along with Barb who waved goodbye. “See you tomorrow Delta, Clampers.” Poppy smiled at her before heading out of the park with Barb.

Delta stayed quiet for a moment, looking over at Branch who sat unmoved. She looked over at Clampers who looked back up at her, nodding to her. Clampers nodded back before standing up and walked in front of Branch. “Rose, come play!” She said, looking up at Branchs hair. 

Branch looked down at Clampers before glancing up at his hair when he felt Rose move. Rose peeked out of his hair to look at Clampers. Clampers motioned for her to come out. Rose slowly climbed onto Branch’s shoulder, feeling him wrap his hands around her to lift her into the ground. Rose held her binder tightly, looking around to make sure it was just the four of them. 

Clampers stomped her front hoofs playfully. “Come on! Do you like running? I love running! Let’s have a race!” Clampers said, ready to run.

“Go easy now Clampers.” Delta warned her, getting a nod in response before Clampers jogged to a nearby stump with slightly nervous Rose following her. 

Branch and Delta sat quietly as they watched Rose slowly warm up to Clampers. “Thank you Delta Dawn.” Branch spoke, breaking the silence.

Delta looked over at him. “I’ve told you before just call me Delta, Sugar. And why are you thanking me?” 

Branch rubbed the back of his neck, looking away slightly. “Well, for coming to Rose's rescue and standing up for her. I’ll thank Clampers later too.”

“Oh, you don’t have to thank us for that. I’m just glad we got there when we did.” She gave him a smile, but didn’t get one in return. “What is bothering you Branch?” She asked.

Branch was silent for a moment, watching Rose and Clampers. “I can’t always be watching her, but I have to. What if this happens again, and we’re not here? Barb said she will have to get used to it, but it’s not something I want her to get used to. I had to, and it was terrible.” He spoke quickly, not looking at Delta. He placed a hand on his hair letting out a groan of frustration. “I don’t know how to help her.”

“It will most likely happen again.” Delta started. “We are doing what we can to prevent it from happening again with Jay and Eva, but other kids may bully her too. We are doing whatever we can do so it doesn’t happen, and that’s all we can do. There will be bad days, but there will also be good days. Look at them.” Delta said, looking back over at the two kids. Clampers was running circles around Rose to show her how fast she was. “She has a friend, and Clampers won’t let anything happen to her if she’s around. They are both very different, but that isn’t going to stop them.” She said as Clampers let Rose climb into her back. “Be careful Clampers! Don’t go too fast!” Delta called out.

“I’m glad she has Clampers. I know how hard it will be for her if others keep bullying her.” He said under his breath.

“Remember Branch, she has you. She has Poppy, Clampers, and me to watch out for her. There will be times she’s alone physically, but she has trolls to go to if something does happen. She isn’t alone. It’s because of you that she isn’t alone.” Delta placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at her. “You have already changed her life for the better in a lot of ways. You may not be able to protect her from a lot of stuff in life, but that’s how they grow.”

Branch gave her a smile, before looking back at Rose and Clampers. “I guess you’re right.” 

“Of course I’m right.” She hugged proudly, causing Branch to chuckle. “You are not alone either Branch, you know that right?” Her words caused Branch to look back at her. “You may not have a family by blood, but you have made yourself a family. Poppy, me, and your other friends as well. We are all here to help you when you need it.”

Branch looked down, thinking about his friend and Poppy, the tips of his ears turning red. “I...never really thought of it that way.” He looked up at Delta. “So much has changed the past six months since the world tour, I haven’t had much time to really think about that kind of stuff.”

“What else has changed?” Delta asked curiously.

“Well, I was like Poppys second in command even before the world tour. I wanted to help in whatever way I can, and you all have let me help in the meetings and around the village. I don’t really want that to change. I like helping.”

“You have always been a big help with the transition Branch. I don’t think we would have gotten this far without your help of the surrounding areas to expand this place.” She smiled as she looked around. “And you are Poppys second in command, no matter what happens. You have to put Rose first right now, and we understand that. Poppy can handle things, and we are here to help her too.” Delta chuckled, looking at him. “I know if Poppy needs you help, she will ask you. Rose is close to that age where she will get more comfortable being out of your hair if she has a friend.” She said as she looked over to see the girls laying on the ground as Clampers talked to a little green spider. “You’re always welcome to come to the meetings as well, Rose would be fine in your hair or playing close by. Clampers does that all the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Poppy brings you to most of them from now on anyways.”

Branch looked at her confused. “What do you mean?” 

“You have helped us so much, you’re practically a leader. We all see you like one.” She grinned. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Poppy is already teaching you how to be a king.” 

Branch’s face turned pink. “K-king?!” He leaned a bit too far back, tumbling over slightly.

Delta laughed, looking down at him. “I don’t know if it’s the same in your culture, but In my culture if the royal is female they will propose and their mate will be king. So Poppy would be the one to propose to you, and you would be king. I don’t know if that’s how it works with you pop trolls though.” She shrugged, a smile still on her face.

Branch stared at her, unsure how to process what he just heard. “Me? King? I don’t...They wouldn’t…” he looked down. “No one would want me to be king.” He whispered.

“Really? From what Poppy told us, without you all of the pop trolls would have been eaten. I think that is some kingly material there, Sugar.” She laughed. “But being grey made you who you are today. You see things differently, and it has helped us all so much. It helped you understand my country music more than any other two legged troll. I truly believe you are the only troll who can adapt to all of our music.”

Branch let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Something Poppy always says is ‘happiness is inside of everyone, sometimes you just need someone to help you find it’.” He said before he felt a sudden impact on his back. He looked behind him to see a slightly panting Rose holding his vest. “What are you doing back there? Do you want some juice?” He saw Rose nod and handed her the cup of juice. “There is some food here too if you are hungry.” 

Rose shook her head and held her cup out for more juice. After Branch filled her cup she carefully walked over to Clampers and held her cup towards her. 

Clampers looked at it before taking it. “For me?” She asked, seeing Rose nod. “Jee, thanks!” She grinned before drinking it. Her ears perked up as she tasted it. “This is really good!” She placed the cup down next to Rose, who was now sitting in front of her. “Hey, do you wanna hear how I met Branch and bit his leg?” She asked excitedly, bouncing on her hoofs. Rose nodded, folding her legs as she waited for the story.

Clampers grinned as she started the story. “So. This started before we were all friends, Miss Poppy and Mr Branch were in jail for singing some crazy pop songs in the middle of town. We had to put them in jail, and Aunt Delta and I were in the building across from them to get a drink. All of the sudden we looked out to see the jails door was busted down and had rope tied to it and a stranger. Growly Pete fell asleep! That’s when I knew Aunt Delta needed her secret weapon. Me! Deputy Clampers! The fastest in town! She busted out of the doors and let me lose. I go running after them!” Clampers said, running circles around Rose. “They head towards the forest being down and I’m right on their hoofs! I was biting through the cacti forest and was in their dust, Aunt Delta and the others were not far behind. All of the sudden I wasn’t standing on the ground!” She stopped for a second as Rose gasped. “I fell down a hole in the ground! I couldn’t see it because I was so close to catching them! Suddenly I was in a dark tunnel, but I could still hear them. I start running again just under the surface. I can hear Aunt Delta behind me as I pop up out of nowhere! I jumped up and landed right onto Branch and started biting him! I did whatever I could to get him to let go, but he wasn’t budging! Suddenly I hear him say something but I couldn’t make it out, and he picks me up. I didn’t realize what happened and kept biting when I felt hair in my mouth. He used me to cut Growly Pete’s hair that was attached to his leg.” She sat down in a huff. “I gotta admit, it was a smart move on his part. We almost had 'em! I didn’t think they would go off the cliff!” 

Rose placed her hand over her mouth, laughing at the story. Clampers stopped for a moment and looked at her. “Jee Rose, I never heard you laugh before.” She said, seeing Rose stop laughing and look away. “I liked it! You need to laugh more.” Clampers grinned at her. “That’s what friends do right, make each other laugh?” 

Rose stared at her for a moment, blushing slightly as she nodded. 

Clampers looked down slightly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to get to those bullies earlier.” Rose looked up at her confused. “I like being fast and it’s one of my favorite things, but I wasn’t fast enough to stop them.” 

Rose frowned slightly as she took out her binder and started writing. After a minute she held her binder up to clampers reading the words ‘super brave and super fast’. 

Clampers looked at her. “Really? You think so?” She grinned when she saw Rose nod. “You’re brave too Rose, brave and strong!” She saw Rose standing up and wrapped her arm around her. Clampers hugged her back. “You’re one of those huggers, aren’t ya?” She laughed when Rose sheepishly nodded. “I’ll get used to it. Now, hope on! I want more of that juice!” She let Rose climb on her back and ran back to Branch and Delta.


	22. 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Trolls fans!!
> 
> I’m feeling 22! I can’t believe it!  
> I’m very excited about this chapter, with the help of WildKat25 for helping with brainstorming and editing! It was fun and interesting to write! I love the Broppy moment at the end of this chapter, hint hint!   
> I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter! I don’t own Trolls, but Rose is my oc! Till next time!

A few hours passed but the events earlier that day would not leave the back of Branch’s mind. He watched as Rose waddled back towards him after she finished chasing the butterflies. Clampers sat next to Delta as she panted slightly. “It’s not often you get tired Clampers.” Delta teased.

Branch chuckled as he watched Clampers pout. He looked down at Rose, seeing her let out a long yawn. “It looks like it’s time for a nap.” He said as Rose laid down to rest her head on his leg. “Are you ready to go home? I have to go get some more watermelon before we head back.”

Delta stood up as she helped Branch gather everything into the bag he brought. “Clampers and I normally come to the park on Sundays, you and Rose are welcome to join us if you feel like it.” Delta smiled as she picked up Clampers. 

“Yeah! You should come.” Clampers grinned.

Branch looked down at Rose to see she had already fallen asleep. He picked her up and looked at the two country trolls. “I’m sure she would love that. Thank you both so much, Rose had a lot of fun today.” He said, his smile widening as he thought about how happy Rose was playing. 

“We’ll see ya around Branch.” Delta waved as she headed off. Clampers jumped into her hair, peeking out the back to wave at Branch who waved back in return.

Branch gently put the sleeping trolling into his hair, being careful not to wake her. Once he was sure she was secure in his hair he headed towards the shops. Branch found a watermelon and walked around to see if he could find Poppy. As he walked around he saw two trolls walking quickly towards him. He stopped in his tracks when he realized who they were. He saw the anger on their eyes as they locked onto his. He did a quick look around, finding himself alone as he looked at the two trolls who were now a few feet away from him.

“YOU!” The male green troll spoke loudly. “How dare you make my children look bad in front of Queen Poppy! You shouldn’t be talking to my children!”

“What are you-“ Branch started but was interrupted by the orange female troll.

“Just because you got your colours back, doesn’t mean you changed!” She yelled.

“Hey, calm down.” Branch held his hands up, but the two trolls kept yelling.

“You are the same crazy, grumpy troll you always were! She’s going to be just like you!” The green troll spat out, causing Branch to freeze.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at the troll. “You don’t know her! At least I’m not teaching her to be a bully like your children! Jay and Eva were bullying Rose!” Branch spoke loudly, feeling the anger bubble inside his stomach as he spoke.

“I don’t get how Queen Poppy stands putting up with you, let alone that thing! You’re nothing but empty shells of trolls, regardless of your current colours and don’t deserve to be here!”

“Leave Poppy and Rose out of this.” Branch hissed out, his hands becoming fists. “They have nothing to do with this, right? It’s me, right Ray?” Branch looked over at the green troll. 

“You should have left a long time ago Branch, you have caused nothing but trouble.” Ray glared at Branch. Branch saw movement in his hair, seeing Jay peeking out nervously. 

“I’m not going anywhere, and neither is Rose. I’m the reason you all survived the Bergen’s, you were all safe because of my preparedness! Until a COLOURED TROLL sold you out! I let you all stay in my bunker and I went out to follow Queen Poppy when she needed it! Even though I helped save all of you, you still can’t get past the colours.” Branch glared back.

“You helped us once, it shouldn’t have made you second in command! You do nothing for the community! You yell at everyone all day when we try to have fun! You are in no position to lead anyone! Once Queen Poppy sees the real you under that fake heroic act you have going on, she’s going to realize what a mistake she made in liking you!” Ray yelled, his voice raising the more he spoke.

“You’re nothing but the village grump who should crawl back into that hole you call home! How do you expect to raise it to be decent with how you were raised!” Elise took a step closer to Branch.

Branch fumes at her words. “I could raise her better than you two have raised your kids!” Branch jumped back when he felt a hand on his shoulder, his hair tightening around Rose protectively. He looked behind him to see King Quincy staring at the two trolls in front of them. Branch’s ears lowered as he saw the rest of his family standing a few feet away from them. “King Quincy, I-“ he started but stopped when Quincy lowered his hand.

King Quincy took a step forward, standing tall next to Branch. “I have heard quite enough of this.” The roughness in his voice made the other three trolls flinch slightly. “You two should be ashamed of yourself! You know nothing of Queen Poppy and Branch’s relationship. Branch has earned the title of second in command from what I have witnessed at Queen Barbs concert.”

“It was also his fault for Queen Poppy being kidnapped and locked up in the first place! He left her when she needed it most! I would never do that for someone I so called love.” Ray shot back, narrowing his eyes at Branch. 

Quincy took a step forward, standing in front of Branch so Ray's gaze was on himself. “Branch went back to save Queen Poppy despite what happened that caused her to be alone. Branch was able to gather unique trolls to help save his fellow pop trolls, and he even put his own life on the line to protect his Queen.”

“Your majesty, you don’t know them. You weren’t there, you don’t know what their nature is like or how harmful they can be.” Ray relayed back.

“The only ones I see who are being harmful are you two. You are talking about an innocent baby, who has done nothing to anyone.” 

“Sir, you don’t know what they are like. They aren’t like us.” 

“I know what has happened in the past, but the past is in the past. Branch has proven himself as a good guardian to Rose and is teaching her how to deal with the changes that are happening in her life.” 

“If you know why he’s like how-“ Ray started but Quincy cut him off.

“Do you remember what it’s like to be grey? We were all grey that day! That feeling, that hopelessness feeling is something I never want to feel again. I had finally found my son, then had all music taken away from us. I thought I’d never be able to share my music with him.” Quincy paused for a moment, seeing Ray look down. “I remember that feeling every day, and can’t imagine living life with that hopelessness feeling. But Rose is living like that. A three year old child.” 

Branch stared at Quincy in awe. He never thought about how close those events were for Quincy and Essence. Branch looked over at Ray and Elise, seeing they were getting more uncomfortable as they argued. 

Elise looked up. “She is a three year old child. He could not raise a child under the circumstances.”

“Under what circumstances?” He lowered his head slightly, his stance warning them to be careful about what they say next.

“He wasn’t raised in a regular troll environment. He doesn’t know anything. We simply worry for the child.” Elise explained.

“Really? You worry about Rose? A few minutes ago you were calling her a ‘thing’, were you not?”

“BRANCH has never had a family, how would he know anything about raising her?! He will corrupt her!”

“So, you know everything about raising children? Branch isn’t alone in this. He has Poppy, Delta Dawn, and myself watching out for him. He may make mistakes, but he will learn from them. Just like every parent makes mistakes.” 

“But, Your Majesty-“

“I have heard enough!” Quincy's voice boomed, quickly quieting Elise from continuing. “You’re fellow troll is in pain and has lost their way, and this is how you treat them? Branch was right then he was concerned that other trolls will teach their children to bully those who have lost their colour. Branch has overcome so many obstacles alone, and came out stronger. From what I’ve heard, he’s the troll who can find a song in the darkest of pots. He was the first to harmonize with Queen Poppy when we were all grey. He has been through enough without you bullying him, or poor little Rose.” 

“Sir…” Branch mumbled, causing Quincy to glance at him. 

“I will talk to Queen Poppy about what happened. As for now, I need Branch for something so we will be going.” Quincy turned around and took a step forward, looking over at Branch. “Come Branch.” He said.

“Y-Yes sir.” Branch quickly followed, still surprised on what he just witnessed. Branch glanced behind him to see the two trolls standing still, glancing at each other before they turned around. “What did you need me for sir?” Branch asked.

Quincy looked down at Branch and gave him a smile. “I actually don’t need you for anything, I just couldn’t leave you with them. Rose is with you right? Is she okay?” 

Branch nodded, parting his hair slightly to reveal a still sleeping Rose.“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” He looked down, letting out a sigh. “It’s just been a terrible day, and they got on my-“

“Do not apologize for their actions.” Quincy said, causing Branch to look up. “They were verbally attacking you. You had every right to get mad. I could not stand by and watch as they belittle you like that.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Branch mumbled under his breath, seeing Quincy staring at him. “They were mad because they thought it was my fault that Poppy wants to meet with them about their children’s actions towards Rose.”

Quincy stopped. “What happened?”

“Their children bullied Rose this morning. I went to get water, I was only gone for a couple minutes. They came from the bushes and started telling Rose she shouldn’t be here and other stuff. They ripped a page out of her binder when I heard the bell go off and quickly ran back to her. Luckily Delta saw it all and will be there tomorrow as well.” Branch explained. 

Quincy stared down at Branch. “I want to be there tomorrow as well.” 

Branch looked up at him, shocked. “Y-you do? Why?” 

“I’m a witness for what happened today, and I want to help prevent it from happening again.” Quincy smiled at him. “Everything I said is true Branch. You are an amazing troll, and a really good father figure for Rose. You have also proven yourself to be an excellent second in command for Queen Poppy.” 

Branch looked down embarrassed. “Branch, are you okay?” He looked up to see Queen Essence in front of him. 

“I’m fine.” Branch replied, glancing over the twin princes.

“Why were they yelling at you?” Darnell asked, taking a step closer.

“They thought I got them and their children on Poppy and Delta Dawn's bad side in short terms.” Branch sighed.

“Why would they think that?” Essence looked down at him. 

“It’s kind of a long story.” Branch rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s been a long day, I’m just going to head back to the bunker.”

Essence lowered her head towards him. “Are you sure you’re okay Branch?” She asked softly. 

Branch nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Why don’t you come have supper with us?” Essence straightened up as she smiled.

Branched stared at her, surprised by her request. “Supper with you?” He repeated.

“You don’t have to today, another day. We can finalize the details another day.”

Branch thought for a moment, looking between Quincy and Essence. “Can Poppy come?” He asked sheepishly.

Quincy laughed. “Of course she should come, I was expecting her to.” 

Branch blushed slightly, nodding. “That would be nice. Thank you for the invitation.” He gave them a smile. “I’m going to head back now. Thank you King Quincy.” Branch bowed slightly as he thanked the funk king. 

“You don’t have to thank me Branch. I’m glad I came in when I did. I will see you tomorrow.” He smiled back at him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, the meeting is at noon in the royal pod.” He said as Quincy nodded. “Have a nice rest of your day.” Branch said before turning around and headed back towards the bunker. 

Once Branch got back to his bunker he placed the watermelon on the counter and headed to the bathroom to make sure Rose was okay in his hair, he hadn’t felt her move in a little while. He split his hair once he was in front of the mirror, seeing Rose was still fast asleep from running around with Clampers. He let out a sigh of relief as he closed his hair back and went to get himself a drink. He looked at the time and decided to prepare some soup for later, being careful not to wake Rose up. Branch sat on the couch once he finished making the soup, leaning against the back when he felt movement in his hair. He waited a minute till he felt Rose sitting up. “Are you awake?” He asked, holding his hand close to his hair to let her down if she wanted. He felt Rose grab his hand and helped her out of his hair. “You had a nice long nap, huh? Was it good?” He chuckled when she yawned in response. Branch placed Rose on the couch next to him, seeing her look around. “Poppy will be back soon, I thought we could make some more juice while we wait.” He said, seeing her ears perk up. “Come on Twig.” He picked her up and went to the kitchen.

Not long after Branch could hear the elevator coming to the main level of the bunker. “Branch? You two here?” Poppy's voice came. 

“Yeah, we’re here.” Branch called back, placing Rose on the ground so she could go see Poppy.

Rose quickly walked to the elevator as it stopped. “There you are!” Poppy grinned when she saw Rose and picked her up. “I always get a warm welcome from you!” Poppy cuddled her close.

Branch came around the corner. “I didn’t expect you back for a little while. I made some soup, it should be done soon.”

Poppy took a few steps towards Branch, frowning slightly. “Is something wrong, Branch?” She asked, placing Rose on the ground when she started squirming.

Branch looked at her for a second before walking over to her. “How did…I’ll explain later, when Rose is distracted.” He whispered to her.

Poppy frowned more. “Is it about what happened earlier? With Rose?” 

“It’s more than that. Please be patient.” Branch said before going to the kitchen to check on the soup.

Poppy watched him, a frown still on her face before she went to see what Rose was going. She found Rose in the kitchen with Branch, pointing to a jug of pink juice. “I think she wants you to try this, we just finished making a new batch of watermelon juice.” Branch poured a small glass and handed it to Rose, watching her walk towards Poppy to give to her. 

Poppy smiled down at Rose, taking the cup to drink. “This is really good! You helped with this Rose?” Rose nodded eagerly, bouncing slightly on her toes. Poppy quickly drinks the rest of the cup and knelt down to hug Rose. “You’re such a good little helper!” She grinned and picked her up, placing her in her chair at the table. “Since supper isn’t ready yet, do you want to colour?” Poppy quickly got out Roses books and coloured pencils. 

Once Rose started colouring, Branch chuckled as Poppy walked towards him. “You really are an impatient troll, you know that?”

“I do, now spill.” Poppy stood in front of him, crossing her arms in expectation.

Branch let out a sigh, glancing over at Rose to make sure she wasn’t listening. “I was going to look for you when Ray and Elise stopped me.” He started.

Poppy stared at him. “Jay and Evas parents?” 

Branch nodded. “They started yelling at me as soon as they got close. They started yelling that it was my fault that their children got in trouble with you. My guess is they didn’t tell their parents the whole story. I tried to calm them down, but they kept yelling. Saying stuff that Rose will be just like me, that I’m still grey under my colours, still the same crazy, grumpy troll I always was.” He stopped for a moment, seeing Poppys ears drop. 

“Oh Branch,” Poppy whispered as Branch continued. 

“I could take whatever they had to say about me, but when they started saying Rose will be like me and that you...that you shouldn't have made me the second in command, I started getting mad.” His ears lowered as he talked. “King Quincy stopped us before it could get much farther. He said he wants to be at the meeting tomorrow as a witness for what happened.” 

Poppy stared at Branch in shock. “They said all that, and infront of Rose too?” Poppy scowled.

“Rose was asleep in my hair.”

“Still, they verbally attacked you! I can’t believe it.” She took one of his hands in hers. 

“Ray was one of the one who bullied me, so I’m not surprised.” He shrugged. “I just wish he didn’t bring you and Rose into it.” He frowned.

“They shouldn’t have said anything! You are my second in command for a reason, you care about the village just as much as I do.” She placed a hand on his cheek gently, she could see how much their negative words had affected Branch’s confidence. “You deserve it Branch, you’re the reason we’re all here. You saved us in the pot. You saved me, twice! No other troll would jump in front of that cord, I still can’t believe you did it for me.” She placed her forehead against his, her eyes staring into his.

“I couldn’t let it hit you, I didn’t know what it could do to you. I love you too much to let anything happen to you.” He stared at her, gently rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand.

She smiled, moving close to kiss his nose. “You’re the sweetest, bravest troll I know. Sure, you are a bit paranoid but for good reason. Because of that, you have improved the village greatly! You build a bunker big enough to hold all of us, and it saved their lives until we were betrayed. That’s why you’re my second in command, even when you were grey you were looking out for the village.” Branch blushed slightly at her statement, causing her to giggle. “What else did they say?” 

Branch glanced away sheepishly. “Well…They said it was my fault you got captured by Barb, which is true.” Before Poppy could deny it, Branch continued. “They said that once you know the real me and not the act I apparently have been showing…You will leave me.” He whispered, causing Poppy to gasp slightly, “I know it’s not true, I know it. I just… can’t stop thinking…”

“Branch.” She said sternly, causing Branch to stop talking. She could feel his breathing quicken as he talked. “First off, it’s not your fault I got captured. Don’t blame yourself for that. We both walked away, and I should have listened to you. It’s not your fault.” She placed her other hand on his other cheek, cupping his face gently. “And I already know you Branch. I love you for who you are.”

Branch slowly relaxed under her touch, placing his hands on hers. “But you don’t know everything though, there could-“ 

“I know you. I know the troll you have become, despite everything. Nothing anyone says will change how I feel about you Branch.” She placed her nose against his, rubbing it gently.

Branch smiled as he closed his eyes, holding his hand tightly against hers. “Come here.” He took a step back and started leading her towards his bookshelf. Poppy followed, confused on what he was doing. “Here.” He stopped in front of his bookshelf.

“Here what?” She asked, looking at him.

“The top two shelves are my journals I’ve written since I could write. You have only ready a few pages of one, but you can read more if you want. It may help you understand more about-“ Before Branch could finish he found himself on the floor with Poppy hugging him tightly, having lost their balance from her excitement. “Poppy?”

“Oh Branch.” She nuzzled into his neck. “I know how secretive you are about those books, I’m happy you’re letting me read them.” She grinned with excitement on his growth to let her in about his past.

Branch couldn’t help but smile as he hugged her back. “I trust you Poppy, with everything. It may even help you understand what Rose may go through as well, maybe help prevent it.”

Poppy kissed his cheek, bringing him close to her. “I will do whatever I can to make sure Rose is safe, and prevent the bullying from continuing.” She kissed his other cheek and his nose. “I love you so much Branch.” She grinned as she planted kisses all over his face, avoiding his lips.

Branch couldn’t help but laugh. “Poppy, that tickles.” He grinned when she pulled back, gently placing a hand on her cheek. “And I love you my sunshine.” 

Poppy quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him closer to her, kissing his lips. Her hands traveled to his hair as she felt him kiss back. She ran her fingers through his hair as she felt his hands around her waist, moving her closer against him. Poppy slowly pulled back for air, her goofy grin filling her face as she giggled at Branch’s lovestruck gaze. “Come on, I think supper is done now.” She stood and helped him up, kissing him one last time before heading to the kitchen with Branch’s quickly following happily behind her.

Rose looked up at Branch and Poppy when she heard the mention of supper, moving her colouring supplies aside as Poppy walked towards her. “Were you listening to us, missy?” She whispered to Rose, causing Rose to cover her ears playfully. Poppy laughed, kissing her cheek gently before picking up Rose’s cup. “I’ll get you some more juice.” Poppy went into the kitchen after Branch, her arm going around his waist as she kissed his cheek. She grinned when she moved away in a teasing manner to get the bowls for the soup. Rose watched as Poppy came back with her drink and her soup. Branch followed close behind and placed Poppy’s soup infront of her, moving her chair back with his free hand to let her sit down. “Thank you kind sir.” Poppy winked at him, causing Branch to chuckle as he sat down to eat.


	23. 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my fellow Trolls fans!  
> Here is another chapter! I loved writing this one, one of my favorite ones to write so far. The next one will be interesting too! Thanks to WildKat25 for helping with the story!  
> I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter! I don’t own Trolls, but Rose is my OC!

Poppy groaned slightly when she felt something tap her leg in her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes as she looked around. She could tell it was early morning, but couldn’t hear Rose like she normally would when she wakes up. Poppy turned her head towards Branch, feeling his foot tap her leg. “Branch, you’re tapping my leg.” She mumbled lazily. She snuggled back into her pillow, her arm draping over Branch. Her eyes shot open when she felt him shake. She propped herself up with one arm and leaned over him slightly. Branch laid on his back with his eyes shut tight, a frown on his slightly parted lips as he breathed heavily. Her eyes widened when she realized he was having a nightmare. Her ears dropped when she heard him whimpering in his sleep. “Branch, Branch. Wake up.” She spoke softly. When he didn’t wake up, she placed a hand on his shoulder to gently shake him. “Branch, honey, it’s a nightmare.” She whispered a bit louder. 

Branch jolted up, breathing heavily as he looked around. His wide eyes settled on Poppy, relaxing slightly when he realized they were in his room. “Poppy?” He went quiet when he realized how raspy his voice was. Branch looked away when he realized what she saw. “I’m thirsty, I’ll be right back.” He quickly got out of bed and was out the door before Poppy could say anything. 

Poppy watched as he left, frowning slightly as slowly getting up. When she got to the hallway she noticed Roses door was open. She glanced inside to see Rose still asleep, but was sure she closed it when they were last up with Rose. She looked towards the kitchen to see a faint light from a Mushroom. Poppy peered around the corner, seeing Branch’s silhouette leaning over the sink with his eyes closed. “Branch?” She spoke quietly to keep from startling him. 

“Rose is okay, she’s still asleep.” He said, glancing at her before grabbing a glass to get a drink. 

“Is that what your nightmare was about? Something happening to Rose?” Poppy asked, seeing Branch stop in his tracks. 

“That was a bit of it.” He muttered, leaning against the counter. He looked up at her. “We should probably go back to bed, Rose will most likely be up soon and we need sleep for tomorrow.” Poppy stared at him for a moment before walking towards him. 

She wrapped her arms around his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. She felt his arms travel around her, smiling as she felt him relax into her. After a few minutes she gave him a quick squeeze before letting go. “Now that we have that out of the way, we are going to talk.” She took his hand and started dragging him back to the bed before he could say anything. Once they got into the room she let go of his hand and sat on his bed. “This is our safe space. In our safe space we can talk about whatever we want, without fear of any of it leaving this room. You can tell me anything and I will listen.” She said as she crossed her legs, waiting for him to join her.

Branch stood at the entrance staring at her. After a minute he slowly went to the bed and sat next to her, crossing his legs as well. Poppy shifted slightly so she was in front of him with their knees touching. Branch kept his head slightly lowered as he glanced at her, letting out a soft chuckle. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I do.” She grinned cheekily, taking his hands in hers. “Now talk. What was your nightmare about? I’m guessing it’s about the events of today, but I won’t know unless you tell me.” She said as she watched him take a deep breath.

It took Branch a minute to gather his thoughts before speaking. “Today was a...rough day. It brought back old memories I wish I didn’t remember.” His voice was low as he spoke, not used to speaking about his nightmares. “I always have them. Today was just a bad day that made them worse, that’s all.”

“That’s all? What do you mean that all?” She frowned slightly. “I’ve stayed overnight every night past week and you haven’t woken me up because of a nightmare.”

Branch glanced away slightly. “I’ve had a few, and would stay up if I thought I may have one. I didn’t want to wake you, and with Rose always waking up you need the sleep.” 

Her eyes softened as he spoke. “Branch, you don’t have to hide the nightmares from me. You can wake me up no matter what happens.”

Branch sighed and gave her a smile. “I know I can. I’ll wake you up next time.” He gently rubbed his thumbs on the back of her hands. 

“So, what was the dream about exactly?” She asked.

“It was almost like I was reliving what happened today, but I was a kid. Almost like I was in Roses place. I was small, and I couldn’t speak. I was being blamed for something, but had no idea what I did.” As Branch spoke his words quickened. “Everyone just watched, no one said or did anything. No one believed me. I was alone and terrified. Then to make everything worse, I felt the ground shaking. I went to go hide here, but it had collapsed with...everyone I know inside.” His ears lowered as he took a breath.. He took a moment to catch his breath as he glanced at Poppy. “The shaking came from that chef Bergen. She always shows up. She grabs me, or you, or someone. She always…” he stopped for a second.

“Chef is gone, she isn’t coming back.” Poppy said softly. “The Bergen’s are our friends.”

“You don’t understand Poppy, it’s something no one will understand. I’ve had that fear of Bergens all my life, it won’t fully go away now that we’re friends with some of them. I know they won’t hurt us, but it’s still something that won’t leave me alone when I sleep. Because of that, there are times that I don’t sleep for days. I feel better staying awake then sleeping. I can’t just close my eyes and sleep those days. I go to bed every night hoping that I don't feel the texture of Grisel's tight underneath me, or the tight squeezing of Chefs hand around me. I always get those dreams after we visit them. They just feel so real, sometimes I can’t take it. All those times I’ve run into town screaming Bergen were part of my nightmares.”

Poppy sat quietly as he spoke, seeing the fear in his eyes as he continued. Her heart broke as she realized he never had anyone to talk to about this before. “I see the bullies faces when I close my eyes, and they laugh at every mistake I make. I hear the words from others talking behind my back when I realize the Bergen’s weren’t there. I still get nightmares of Creeks smirk when he took your bell, and the way you looked when you lost your colours that day. My worst ones are if I miscalculated the jump and you got hit instead, or if I hurt you when I was a rock zombie. There are ones that Chef came back, and took you from me and I couldn’t…” His voice cracked as he shook slightly.

“Branch.” Poppy spoke, breaking his train of thought as she brought her hands to his cheeks. When Branch looked back up at her, she placed her forehead against his gently. “Branch, love, even when you were under Barbs control you were gentle. I know you would never hurt me, honey.” She looked into his eyes, seeing fear in his eyes slowly fade. “You sang with that beautiful voice of yours, and brought my colours back. You didn’t miscalculate that jump and saved me like you always do.” She kissed his nose.

Branch couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Sometimes I wake up and I still feel like I’m back. Back to being alone, that all of it was just a dream and I’m grey again. I…” He reached over to his side table drawer and pulled out a photo. “When you aren’t here at night, I keep this on my side table to remind me that...I'm not alone. That I have someone who cares about me. That everything is in the past, and I can look forward to something a little more towards the cupcakes and rainbow side of things.” He chuckled slightly as he looked down at it. He handed her the photo of the two of them on the tree limp, seeing her shocked face made him laugh.

Poppy stared down at the photo, smiling as she remembered when it was taken. “I love your smile in this one. You look so adorable!” She glanced up at him to see him frown, causing her to giggle. “Have you ever talked about this stuff with anyone before? It may be a good thing to talk to a doctor or something. It sounds like more than just nightmares Branch.”

“When I first got my colours I thought they would leave, but when they didn’t I did go talk to Dr Moon. She gave me some pills, but the effects of them seemed to be worse in other ways. I had no dreams but I felt so tired, like I didn’t sleep for days. Remember when I said I was sick during the flower festival? I didn’t want anyone to know that I was extremely tired, so I went off the pills and went back to the building. Making stuff, planning things made everything manageable.”

“It helped distract you.” She glanced around the room. “You needed a lot of distractions.” She whispered, seeing him nod in return. “Oh Honey, I never realized how much it all affected you.”

“I didn’t want anyone to see, I just wanted to be...normal.” He muttered, looking away slightly.

Poppy gently placed her hand on his cheek, causing him to look back at her. “Branch, you will never be ‘normal’ as you say. You’re so much more than an ordinary troll. You’re extraordinary! You are so brave and strong. You have gone through so much that it haunts your dreams, but you get out there and smile!” She grinned when she saw him smile at her words. “Nothing is going to happen to me, and I know you are going to do your best to make sure nothing happens to Rose as well. Chef is gone, she won’t hurt anyone anymore. We’re safe.” She said softly.

Branch let out a sigh, confirming to Poppy that he had finally relaxed. “You’re the extraordinary one Poppy. You’re my reason to get out of this bunker. You’re the reason why I smile.” 

Poppy couldn’t help but grin more at the soft expression on his face as he smiled at her. She quickly leaped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Poppy heard him laugh as he wrapped his arms around her in return, pulling her closer to him. “I love you Branch.”

His smile softened. “And I love you Poppy.” He immediately felt her lips on his. 

After a moment Poppy pulled back with a grin. “I know!” She bounced over to her middle of the bed and laid down. “Come here!” She reached towards him. Branch looked at her confused, but went to lay next to her. “No, you’re going to lay on my chest.” 

Her words caused him to freeze. “I don’t think I heard you right.” 

“You heard me right. Now lay down.” She wrapped her arms around him and brought him down next to her. “It’s the same thing we do with Rose when she’s upset. Listening to a heartbeat helps calm her and lets her sleep, maybe it will do the same for you!” She grinned at him. “Now come here!”

Branch stared at her, feeling his cheeks heat up. “You’re not going to stop until I lay down. I know you won’t.” He muttered to himself, hearing Poppy him in agreement. Branch laid his head on her chest, feeling slightly awkward as he started listening to her heartbeat.

Poppy gently moved her arms around him, urging him to move closer to her. “I’m not going to bite. Here.” She gently moved one of his arms so it rested on her stomach. “Just relax. She said softly, burying her face in his hair happily.

Branch took a deep breath in and slowly relaxed as he felt her rub his arm gently. He closed his eyes as he listened to her heartbeat, feeling a wave of security crash over him. He quickly fell asleep as he snuggled into her side, feeling her running other hand through his hair.

Poppy glanced down at Branch when she heard his breathing even out. “Branch?” She whispered but didn’t get a response. “I guess it worked.” She grinned as she felt him nuzzle into her. She kept running her fingers through his hair as she thought to herself. She took her other hand and reached into the side table next to her and pulled out a journal Branch had let her read. She lit a small mushroom next to her and started reading, making sure the light didn’t wake Branch. Poppy barely got three pages into the book and couldn’t believe how the other trolls treated him. How could she not have noticed? She knew others called him names, but the words she read broke her heart. Grey Cretin. Waste of air. Worthless. Nothing. They always called him nothing. As she continued to read, she knew she had to make sure Branch knew he’s not nothing. Not long after she started reading she heard the door slowly crack open. Poppy put the book down as she saw a little grey hand grab the door. “Rose? What are you doing up?” She asked, seeing Rose peek into the room. “Come here sweetheart.” Poppy reached her hand over the edge of the bed to show Rose where she was. 

Rose took a few steps in, going on her top toes to peer over the bed. She looked over at the opposite side of the bed Poppy was on and slowly headed there. Poppy giggled slightly. “Rose, Branch is over here Sweetie.” She said softly, seeing the top of Roses hair turn towards her and walk to her side of the bed. “Did you have a nightmare? If that why you’re up?” Poppy asked, reaching her hand towards Rose. 

Rose nodded as she walked towards Poppys hand. She gently grabbed Poppys hand, looking up at her. 

Poppy gave her a soft smile. “Do you wanna come up here with us? Branch has just fallen asleep, he’s had a rough night tonight.” She felt Rose nod and gently picked her up, placing her next to him. 

Rose kept a hold of her hand, looking over at Branch who was still asleep on Poppys chest. Rose looked back over at Poppy.

“Branch had a bad nightmare.” Poppy told her, seeing her frown. “He is okay now, we talked through some things. Branch will be okay.” She gently brought her hand to Roses cheek, feeling her rub against her hand gently. “Listening to a heartbeat always works to help sooth others to sleep.” She smiled. “I also think hugs work too. They help others relax.”

Rose opened her book and started writing, turning it to Poppy when she finished. ‘Heard not normal’ she wrote, looking over at Branch. 

Poppy took a minute to realize what she meant. “Branch isn’t normal, not the normal he wants to be. He is different, but what makes him different is what I love about him.” Poppy glanced over at him, smiling. “Why don’t you sleep here with us? Maybe it will help with your nightmares, it seems to be helping Branch so far.” She smiled.

Rose stared at her, her ears lowering slightly as she looked over at Branch. She slowly crawled under Branch’s arm that was around Poppy, cuddling into the small space between them. Rose glanced up at Poppy, seeing Poppy smile down at her. She nuzzled into Branch’s chest as she yawned, her hand gripping into Poppys shirt as she fell asleep. Poppy giggled slightly as she felt Branch’s grip on her tighten. “Sweet dreams you two.” She whispered as she rubbed Roses back, letting sleep take over.

~

Rose nuzzled her head into the warmth she felt as she woke up. She let out a small yawn as she rubbed her eye. She opened her eyes slightly and looked around, seeing Poppys head move to look down at her. “Good morning Rose, did you sleep well?” Rose looked around, realizing it was morning. Her ears perked up as she moved to sit up but saw Poppys hand move. She looked at Poppy confused as she heard her whisper. “Branch is still sleeping, let’s let him sleep for a bit longer.”

Rose nodded and glanced over at Branch. She gasped when she saw Branchs eyes open. “I’ve been up for a little bit now.” He mumbled as he buried his head into Poppys shoulder.

“When did you wake up? Why didn’t you say anything?” Poppy asked, looking down at Branch.

“I didn’t want to wake anyone.” He propped himself up with his elbow so he loomed over Poppy, smiling down at her. “Good Morning Sunshine.” He lowered his head to give her a quick kiss. “I love you.” He kissed her again. “Thank you, for last night.” He kissed her once more.

Poppy placed a hand on the back of his head, keeping his lips on hers as she kissed him back. She pulled back a minute later, grinning. “I take it you had a good sleep after?”

Branch nodded before glancing down at Rose, seeing her slowly crawl up to Poppys chest. “So, when did a little twig sneak in here last night?” 

Poppy giggled as she felt Rose snuggling into the spot Branch was previously laying. “She has a nightmare, so she came in here. I think being here helped with them.” She gently rubbed Roses back.

Branch looked down at Rose, seeing her look up at him. “You feel okay now?” He saw her nod. “Are you hungry?” 

Rose sat up on Poppys chest, nodding again as she rubbed her stomach. She looked at Poppy and pointed to her. Poppy looked at her confused. “Me? What about me?”

“I think she wants you to cook today.” Branch chuckled, sitting up and picked Rose up. “What do you want to eat?” 

Poppy handed Rose her binder, seeing her write out the word ‘crep’. “Crepe? You want those again?” Poppy grinned when Rose nodded. “I’m glad you like them! I’ll definitely go make them before we have to go.” Poppy saw Branchs ears lower slightly at the mention of the meeting. “Hey, it will be okay.” She whispered to him softly as she sat up. Poppy kissed his cheek and gave him a smile. “Come on, I’ll go make us something to eat.” She stood up and went to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

Branch stood up with Rose in his arms and made his way to the kitchen as well. “Do you need help?” He asked as he placed Rose down at the table. 

“No, I’m good for now. Just sit and relax while I cook.” She smiled as she washed the fruit. 

Branch grabbed two cup of water for himself and Rose before getting a notebook from the bookshelf. He placed the cup next to her and sat down at the table next to Rose. He gave her a smile as they both took a drink from their cups. Branch placed the notebook in front of him and started writing. He glanced up every once in a while to see Rose colouring in her book as he wrote.

As Rose coloured in her book, she noticed Branchs ears drop every so often. She frowned slightly as she put her crayon down and stood up on her seat. She pushed her book out of the way and climbed into the table, causing Branch to look at her.

“What are you doing on the table?” Branch asked confused, seeing her walk over to him. 

Rose looked down at his book then back at him. She reached her arm towards him, frowning slightly. She wrapped her arm around Branch neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt Branchs hand on her back as she nuzzled into his shoulder. 

Branch looked down at Rose, feeling her hand grip his shirt. “You okay Twig?” He whispered to her, feeling her nod. “Are you nervous for today?” He felt her nod again. “Yeah, me too. But it will be okay.” He gently rubbed her back as he felt her grip tighten on him. “It will all be okay.”


	24. 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> Finally! Here is the next chapter for you all! I’m so glad I was able to get it done before Christmas, I wish I was able to finish it sooner but it is a busy season! I got distracted with other stuff, and writing this chapter was tough but I think it turned out well!  
> As of Boxing Day, I will have more time to write as it’s going into the slow seasons for retail. It will be easier to find time to write in January and February! Hopefully the next chapter will be out towards the end of January depending on how the month goes!   
> Thanks very much to WildKat25 for helping me with this chapter!   
> I hope you like this chapter! Thank you so much for sticking with this story so far!!

Walking in silence was very unusual for Poppy. She glanced over at Branch as they made their way towards the village. She could see in his eyes he was thinking about what will happen, a small frown on his lips as his mind wondered. She looked down at the little trolling in his arms. Rose hasn’t let go of Branch since they woke up. She smiled softly as she took a hold of Branchs hand as they walked. She saw him glance over at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as they got into town. They made their way to the royal pod, seeing the light was already on. Poppy glanced in to see Queen Barb and King Quincy waiting at the table. “You two are early.”

“Good morning Queen Poppy.” Quincy greeted as he saw them walk in. “Hello Branch, Rose.” 

“Hey.” Branch replied as he walked in. “I’m surprised that you’re here early, Barb.”

“Good thing I got here early, King Quincy told me what happened with the parent’s. This is going to be one interesting meeting.” She said as she relaxed into her chair. 

Branch placed Rose on the table as he sat next to Quincy. “So Delta is the only one who doesn’t know?”

“Doesn’t know what?” A voice came from the door. Clampers jumped onto the table. “Rose! You are here.” Clampers grinned as she trotted over to her. 

“Good morning Clampers. Is Delta Dawn behind you?” Poppy smiled at her, 

“Yeah, Aunt Delta will be here soon!” She sat down infront of Branch.

Delta soon appeared at the entrance. “I’ve told you before Clampers, you shouldn’t run off too far ahead.” She cycled as Clamlers gave her a grin in response. 

“Glad you arrived early Delta Dawn.” King Quincy smiled at her.

“Pardon my rudeness, but why are you here King Quincy?” She asked, saying a seat next to him. 

“There was an event yesterday that I had witnessed.” Quincy explained. “Ray and Elise cornered Branch and were yelling awful things at him. I am here to make sure everyone tells the truth.”

Delta stared at him in disbelief. “Well, I see where the kids got it from. That is terrible.”

“This is going to be one hell of a meeting.” Barb said as she watched Delta sit next to Quincy.

Everyone went silent as they heard the door open, watching Ray and Elise walked in. Elise carried Jay in her arms, stopping at the entrance. Poppy stood up and gave them a smile. “Good afternoon. I’m glad you are able to join us. Is Eva here too?” Poppy saw Eva peek out of her mother’s hair. “Good, and what about Jack? He is coming right?”

“Yes, he is right behind us.” Ray said as he looked back. An older troll made his way into the entrance, the sound of his cane hitting the floor as he walked echoed through the pod. Jack looked at Ray before around at the leaders as his eyes stopped at Branch and Rose.

Jack grumbled as he made his way to an empty seat across the table from Quincy. “Let’s get this over with. What are we even here for?” He breathed out, using his cane for support as he sat down.

“There was an incident with the kids. We will talk it over to figure out how we can all learn from what happened.” Poppy informed him, seeing Ray and Eva sitting across from her and Branch. “I want us all to be on the same page, so I want the kids to each tell us what happened and we will go from there.”

“Kids will be kids.” Jack muttered, causing the others to look at him.

Poppy frowned slightly before looking back at the kids. “Jay, Eva, can you please go first and tell us what happened yesterday.”

Jay spoke first. “We went to the park to play. We saw Rose and Branch, so we watched from the bushes. When he left, we went and talked to Rose.” 

“And what happened when you talked to Rose?” Poppy asked, trying to get Jay to talk more.

“We were mean.” Eva looked down. “We said bad things, and Jay tried to take her book.” Poppy quickly got a glimpse of Elise as a look of shock appeared on her face.

“I saw that part!” Clampers said, looking at Jay. “Aunt Delta and I saw Jay and Eva with Rose. I couldn’t hear what they said but I saw Jay rip paper out of Roses binder and throw it on the ground. Rose looked mad and held it for him to read, but he tried to take it from her. Rose tried to get it back but the strap broke and she fell to the ground.” Clampers frowned. “I ran over as fast as I could.”

Eva nodded. “Jay said we will catch greyness, then Clampers came and stopped us from leaving.”

“Eva!” Jay whispered to her, trying to get her to stop as he glanced at his grandfather. Poppy saw Elise face change from a shocked expression to a disappointed look.

“Jay.” Elise looked down at her son, causing his ears to lower slightly. “Tell us what you said to Rose.” She said sternly. 

Jay was silent for a minute. “I said grey isn’t a colour. She shouldn’t be near our park, she ruins everyone's day by being out.” Jay crossed his arms as he finished.

Rose's ears lowered as she sank into Branchs arms, wanting to hide. She could hear Clampers growling at Jay's words. “Why do you think that?” Rose heard Poppy ask after a moment. Rose looked up at Poppy to see her face was serious, but her ears were lower then before. 

Jay stared at Poppy, taking a moment before he spoke. “Well…She’s different. And my grandpa said grey trolls can't be trusted.”

“Jack said that, did he?” Poppy looked over at Jack who stared out the window. “Jay, Eva. Do you two know why Rose lost her colour?” Poppy saw both the kids shake their head slowly. Poppy glanced over at Rose, seeing her lower her head as she held onto Branchs fingers tightly. “Rose lost her mom and dad. They were in that house that was destroyed by a creature. Rose is grey because she is very sad and scared.” The kids looked down, not saying anything. Poppy looked at Rose, seeing Branch wipe a tear away from Roses cheek. “Jay, Eva.” She said quietly, causing them to look at her. “How would you feel if something happened to your parents?” She saw their ears lower and a frown appear on their face. “That feeling is what's happening to Rose. That’s why Rose is grey. It’s not something she can control. Everything in her world is changing, and change like this is scary.” 

Eva looked down, rubbing her arm nervously. “I didn’t know…” she glanced at her brother who stared down at the table.

“But now you do know. Now you can think more carefully before you act. Now you can think a bit more before judging someone on their appearance.” Poppy gave them a soft smile, seeing Jay still staring at the ground. “Do you both understand?” Poppy saw Eva nod in response, but Jay stood still. “Jay. Do you understand what I said?” 

“Yes Queen Poppy.” Jay muttered as he looked up at her.

“Good. Now come here.” She held her arms towards them. Eva rushed into her open arms as Jay slowly walked over to her. Poppy gave them a reassuring hug. “I want you two to think about what happened, and what we talked about today. I don’t want this happening again. I also want you two to apologize sincerely to Rose.” She saw Eva open her mouth, but spoke before Eva could talk. “I don’t want you to apologize now, because it would be me telling you to say sorry and it wouldn’t be as sincere. Take a day or two to think about why you are apologizing, then apologize when you truly mean it. Okay?” She gave them another smile as they nodded. “Good. Now, We have other things to talk about, but the kids don’t need to be here for this.” Poppy told the others as Eva and Jay went back to their parents.

Quincy looked at Poppy. “Essence is at the tree base having a picnic with our sons. I’m sure they would be happy to watch the kids.”

Poppy grinned. “That’s perfect. We will take a quick break and will meet back here in about ten minute.” She stood up along with Quincy and Delta. Branch followed as they made their way out of the pod, glancing back to see Barb relaxing in her seat.

As they made their way to the base of the tree they could hear Cooper laughing, his brothers soon after. “What is so funny?” Quincy interrupted, causing the funk royals to look at him.

“Mom was telling us about your three left feet.” Darnell teased. 

King Quincy let out a heartfelt laugh. “I’m sure everyone is getting tired of that story Dear.”

“It’s a good story!” Cooper laughed.

“What story?” Poppy asked as she walked over.

Essence smile grew wider. “Oh, I haven’t told you yet? Well…” she stopped when she heard a soft cry come from behind them. She looked over to see Rose shaking her head as Branch tried to put her on the ground.

“Rose, you need to stay here for a little bit.” Branch said, trying to place her on the ground. Rose lifted her feet up so she couldn’t touch the ground. She whimpered as she held onto his hands tightly.

“Right. Queen Essence, Would you be able to watch the little ones as we finish the meeting?” Poppy asked, looking over at her. 

Essence nodded. “I would love to watch them. Bring her over here Branch, on the blanket.”

Branch nodded as he started to walk over to them. He placed his bag next to the blanket and tried to put Rose down. Rose whimpered as Branch tried to pull away. “Rose, you have to stay here. I’ll just be up the tree. It won’t take long.” He assured her, but her grip on his hand tightened. “Clampers is here…” He started as he looked up to see Clampers tail in the air as she dug through his bag.

Clampers stopped at her name, lifting her head out of the bag. “I smell cupcakes in here.”

“Are you hungry Rose? We have quite a bit of food left over.” Essence smiled down at her. 

Rose looked over at her, her ears lowering as she tried to keep her grip on Branchs hand. Clampers walked in front of her, holding out a cupcake. “Here Rose, we can eat while we wait.” She grinned.

Rose looked at the cupcake, but snapped her head towards Branch when she realized his hand had slipped from her grasp. She whimpered as she watched Branch stand up, her lip quivering. “We will be back soon, Rose. I promise.” Poppy said as she placed her hand on Branchs shoulder, taking a step back.

Delta and Quincy made their way up the tree, Poppy and Branch lagging behind. As they got out of sight they could hear Roses cries. “The sooner this is over, the sooner we can get back to her.” Branch muttered to himself.

Poppy looked at him, placing her hand on his. “It shouldn’t be long.” She assured him, grabbing his hand. She gently tugged his arm forward. “Come on, we’re falling behind.” She gave him a smile as she pulled him up the tree towards the pod.

As they returned, Jack let out an annoyed grunt. “Finally. Can we go? I’m going to be late for a game.” 

“We still have some very important things to discuss.” Poppy said as she sat down in her seat. She glanced over at Branch as he sat down, seeing his eat twitch as he heard Rose's cries. 

Poppy looked over at Elise. “Where did the kids go?” She asked.

“I sent them home.” She replied.

“Good. As the kids said what happened, you looked shocked. I’m guessing Jay and Eva didn’t tell you everything about what happened yesterday?” 

Elise slowly shook her head. “No. They didn’t. Jay told us that Branch and Rose made them look bad in front of you. He said that Rose pushed Eva, and that they did nothing. I didn’t hear the full story until now.”

Poppy opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted. “Those kids did nothing wrong. Jay did not push her. She would not have fallen if it wasn’t for that poorly built thing she carries around. ” Jack spoke, his eyes narrowing at Branch.

“Rose falling is not the reason.” Poppy spoke sternly, causing Jack to glance at her. “A child is observant. They watch, listen, and copy things that they see others do or say. Their behaviour would have been something they saw, or they heard someone saying bad stuff about Rose. I was told Jay was there when you yelled at Branch. That is going to teach him that yelling is going to solve his problems. That’s going to encourage him that he can get away with bullying Rose, or any other kids if he wants to.”

Poppy was silent for a minute, waiting to see if the others would speak. She noticed Ray was avoiding eye contact, his actions mimicking Jays from earlier. “I want to get to the bottom of why Jay thinks that grey trolls shouldn’t be near the park.” Poppy turned to Ray. “Ray. I know you didn’t have a good relationship with Branch. Why is that?” 

Ray looked at Poppy, then at Branch. He was about to speak when Jack spoke up. “Why are you targeting my son? Everyone knows why he was not welcome in the village.” Jack narrowed his eyes at Branch. “He ruined everything! We could not have a single peaceful day with this cursed trolls around! He-“

Delta stomped her foot, causing everyone to flinch. “Enough! She did not ask you.” Delta said sternly, getting a glare in return from the old troll.

“I don’t have to listen to you. You are not the Queen.” Deltas eyes narrowed, about to stand up when she heard Poppy stand up first.

“Jack! You do not speak to a leader, or any troll like that! Delta Dawn is an amazing leader, and you will not disrespect her!” Poppy's voice rose as she spoke. “We will move onto your behaviour then. It was clear to see that Jay was scared of you, or your reaction to what happened. I believe you are the one filling those children’s heads with lies about grey trolls.” 

“I have done no such thing! I tell my grandchildren the truth about those abominations!” Jack pointed to Branch, glaring at him.

“Jack!” Elise said sternly, getting a vulgar look in return. 

Poppys hands turned to fists. “Are you calling your Queen an abomination? Are you calling your family an abomination? We have all been grey. You were grey. Twice!” 

“That does not count! It was barely ten minutes!” Jack argued back.

“It doesn’t work like that Jack, it doesn’t matter how long someone was grey for! We were all grey! It doesn’t matter for how long. Branch never had the support of the community, he never had a chance to be accepted by other trolls until much later. Rose has gone through something very traumatic. She needs to know that she has the support of the community to become happy and colourful again! She does not need your negative comments in the background saying she’s an abomination! Why would you even think that?!” Poppy questioned. She saw Jack slowly sit down, looking away from her. She knew she hit a sour spot. “Tell me why you hate grey trolls so much. There has to be a reason behind all of this.” She looked over at Ray and Elise, noticing Ray looking away from her as well. “Ray. What happened.” She said sternly.

Ray glanced at his father, seeing him giving a warning look. When he looked up at Poppy, he froze. He never saw the Queen this upset before. Seeing her like that scared him. “My mother was grey.” Ray blurted out. “Grey trolls ruin everything.” Ray quickly shut his mouth when he felt something hook his arm. He looked over to see a cane around his arm.

“Ray. Shut up.” Jack warned, his eyes borrowing into Ray. 

“Jack! Let Ray go.” Poppy warned back. She couldn’t believe what she just saw. Poppy stared at Jack, watching as he slowly moved his cane to the other side of him. “Tell me what happened. Now.”

Jack stared at Poppy, seeing emotions he has never seen in the Queen before. He stared silent for a minute before he leaned over the table. “The Bergen’s rarely took children, but they took my daughter. Ray was still in the early stages when they took her, and my wife took it terribly. She turned grey. She sat in bed all day and did nothing.” Jack's hands turned into fists as he spoke. “She ruined everything! She led the Bergen’s to our pod and she almost killed Ray! Grey trolls are nothing but weak, selfish, cruel creatures that don’t deserve to be here! None of you know how hard it was to live back then!”

Everyone was silent as they listened. Poppy looked at Ray, seeing his ears lower as his father talked. “Jack.” She said after he finished. “I know it was hard back then. I’ve heard enough stories to understand the struggle of what it was like.” 

“No. You don’t.” Jack interrupted, standing up from his seat abruptly. “You do not understand what happened back then. The moment a troll is grey for more than a day, they do not deserve to be here! They brainwash others! He brainwashed you into telling everyone to let him in the village! No one in the village wants them here! They only tolerate him because you said we had to!” Jack spoke angrily.

“Jack, why don’t you sit back down and we can take a minute to calm down?” King Quincy spoke up, seeing the fury in the older troll rising.

“No! I can not calm down! I’ve had enough of this! Are we good to go now?” He glared at Branch.

“No Jack, you can not go! You are taking your anger out on Branch when he has done nothing to you! I will not have you yelling at someone when they do not deserve it.” Poppys spoke up. She saw Branchs ears lower, frowning more at the situation that had unfolded.

“He does deserve it! Just because he got his colours back, doesn’t mean he isn’t the same price of filth he was when was grey! That child will grow up to be nothing but a-“

“Just shut up already!” An annoyed voice broke Jacks rant.

Jacks eyes narrowed on Branch. “What did you-“

“You heard what I said.” Branch looked up at the older trolls. He stood up, his hands turning to fists as he spoke. “All you have done is insult me for the last twenty minute, but I don’t care about that. What I’m mad about is that you have called a toddler, that you do not even know, that she is an abomination! Just because she looks different? That’s insane! You can call me whatever names you want, but I will not let you call that innocent child anything other than her name!” Branch took a second to breath, his eyes not leaving Jacks. “It’s clear to see no matter what anyone says, you will not listen. It is also clear that you are taking your anger out on other trolls who do not deserve it.” Branch remained calm as he saw Jack's hands turn to tight fists. “You are angry, bitter, and afraid. I felt like that when I was grey.”

“Did you just call me grey?!” Jack's voice boomed, his knuckles turning white as he tightened his fists.

“No. I wasn’t, but maybe I should. You may not be grey on the outside, but it’s easy to see you’re scared you might turn grey.” Branch said, but froze when he saw Jack raise his cane in the air. Branch tightly closed his eyes when he saw the cane starting to rush down towards him, waiting for the impact of the cane. Branch felt something around his torso, but no pain. He heard the loud sound of wood breaking, slowly opening his eyes. He looked down to see Poppys arms around him, leaning him away from the table. He looked around to see King Quincy leaning over the table in front of him, with Barb standing on the table in front of Jack. He looked over to see Ray and Elises shocked face, as well as Jack's boiling expression as he looked at the broken cane under Deltas hooves. “...what…” Branch muttered.

Barb stood over Jack, staring down at him. “You really think that hitting Branch in front of us is a good move? You’re lucky I was told to leave my guitar outside.” Barb hissed out, causing Jack to take a step back. 

Poppy slowly moved back to her seat, looking at Branch worriedly. Branch gently placed a hand on hers, giving her a small smile before looking back at Jack. “He has you all brainwashed!” Jack's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere. 

“No. He has not. Branch has done nothing to deserve what you were about to do.” King Quincy's voice boomed over Jacks.

Jack looked over at Poppy. “Queen Poppy.-“ He started but stopped when Poppy gave him a cautionary look.

“Do not call me Queen.” She stated. “I will not have someone in my village who will hit another just because they said something they don’t like. I can not have someone who will hurt another troll! All we wanted to do was talk things over, and you have resorted to violence when it was not needed. You have shown me today that you are not willing to try and overcome what has happened in the past.”

Jack stared at her. “What are you getting at?” He questioned.

“You have not listened to what we have been trying to talk about during this meeting. You were going to threaten you son. You were about to hit a fellow troll, if it wasn’t for us getting in the way, you would have hit my second in command! Because of all this, I can not have you in the village.” Poppy heard a couple gasps, but ignored them. “I was trying to give you a chance to redeem yourself, but I can not trust you in the village if you are going to hit trolls who are trying to talk to you about serious matters.” 

“This is ridiculous! I am not leaving my family here! This is my home!” Jack yelled.

“You will come with me.” Delta stood up, causing the others to look at her. “You will come live in lonesome flats. All of the country trolls still there will not put up with any of this behaviour. It’s the best place for you now. I am leaving in two days, and will be there for a week. Growly Pete will keep an eye on you after that.”

Poppy looked at Delta shocked, then gave her an assuring smile. “For now, Jack should go to the fungeon so we can discuss it further.” King Quincy spoke up, getting a nod in agreement from the others.

“What?! This is insane! He was attacking me!” Jack said, but stopped when Delta and Barb grabbed his arms. Jack quickly went quiet when he saw Barbs ruthless grin.

“You’re lucky Delta spoke up first. I can already imagine the fun we could have had.” She whispered to him as they went to the door. “You’re lucky Delta.” She teased.

As they left, Poppy looked over at Branch. “Are you okay Branch?” She asked quietly, feeling his hand shaking.

He nodded. “I’ll be okay...I don’t really know what happened, but I’m fine.” He felt her arms tightly around him. “Thank you Poppy.” He said as he hugged her back.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!
> 
> I can’t believe this is chapter 25! Thank you all so much for sticking with the story so far! There’s a lot of ideas I have to the story, I can’t wait to write more of them for the story! I love reading all your comments!  
> Thanks to WildKat25 for helping with the story!  
> I don’t own Trolls, but Rose is my oc.

Poppy buried her face in Branchs shoulder as she held him tightly. She still couldn’t believe another troll had tried to hit him. She took a deep breath as she loosened her grip. She gave him a soft smile as she noticed King Quincy was staring at Branch. “Is everything okay King Quincy?”

“Are you sure he didn’t get you Branch?” He asked, seeing Branch turned to look at him. Quincy stopped when he noticed a small mark behind Branchs ear. “What’s that behind your ear?” He asked.

Branch looked at him confused for a second as he reached behind his ear. “Oh, that’s just a scar. It’s nothing. He missed me this time.” He felt Poppys hand on his shoulder as she tried to get a better look at his scar.

“You have a scar behind your ear? From what?” She asked as she moved his hair to get a better view of it.

Branch kept still, looking away from them. “It’s just a scar, everyone has scars.” 

“Every scar has a story. I’m guessing this isn’t a good story.” Quincy frowned.

Branch was silent for a moment. “I think a rock or a stick. I don’t remember. Lots of things were thrown over the years.” 

“Thrown, as in thrown at you?” Quincy's question was answered with a lot. “From kids or adults?” 

Branch could hear Quincy's tone getting serious. “Mostly kids, only a couple adults hit…” 

“Hit?! Who hit you?!” Poppy interrupted him, her voice echoing in the pod causing Ray and Elise to look over at them. “Do you have other scars I don't know about?” Poppy tugged his vest, causing Branch to quickly turn around.

“What are you doing?” He asked, seeing her lift his shirt as she looked him over. He pulled his vest down, seeing her frown. “I’ll show you later.” He said quietly, blushing at the idea of having her look him over.

Poppy frowned but nodded as Quincy let out a frustrated sigh. “It was him, wasn’t it?” He asked Branch. Branch slowly nodded, glancing at the King of Funk. Quincy looked up at the two trolls at the tower side of the pod, interrupting their conversation. “Ray, right? Had Jack ever hit you? Please, be honest. Has he hit you or anyone else? He looked like he was going to hit you earlier.”

Ray was silent as Elise answered for him. “He has hit Ray before. As a child, he had bruises.” 

“I fell. I was a clumsy kid.” Ray finally spoke up, narrowing his eyes.

“Ray. You have to tell us what he did to you. I know he’s your father, and it’s hard. What if Jack does what he did to you, to Jay?” Poppy explained, seeing Ray look away again.

The pods door opened as Barb and Delta returned, a smirk on Barbs face as they sat. “So, what’s next?” She asked as she leaned into her chair.

“We need Ray to tell us the truth.” Poppy said as she turned her attention back to Ray. “Please Ray. We need to know, did he hit you? Do you have any scars?”

Ray stayed quiet, before slowly moving his shirt off his shoulder to reveal a scar similar to Branchs. “He never meant to…” Ray muttered as he rubbed his hands together.

Branch couldn’t help but stare at Ray, he knew Jack wasn’t a nice troll but he never thought Jack would hurt his own kid. Poppy looked from Ray to Elise. “Has he ever done anything to you Elise?” Poppy asked. “Or the kids?”

Elise shook her head. “I haven’t seen any marks on the kids, only little scratches from playing in the bushes sometimes...but Jack would yell. If we did something a different way then Jack would, he would yell at us to do it the right way.”

“Have you told anyone before?” Delta asked, seeing Elise shake her head again.

“No.” Ray spoke up. “He wasn’t a bad father.” 

“We aren’t saying Jack is a bad father, but his actions have us worried. He has hit you. He has hit other kids. What if he hits your kids? I can’t have the risk of someone hurting another troll.” Poppy explained. “We will all talk it over later what will happen with Jack at our leader meeting.” 

“Right now, I want to know more about what happened between you and Branch.” Barb pipped up, staring at Ray. 

Ray looked at her. “What do you want to know?” He breathed out.

“Why did you bully Branch?” Delta asked. “Was it because he was grey? Did Jack tell you too? Did other kids tell you too?” 

Ray looked over at her as she spoke, before looking down. “I never thought about why…” He glanced at Branch before looking back down. “From what I remember, my dad told me not to go near the grey troll. I don’t know if I was the one who started throwing rocks, but I do know I joined.” He admitted. “We got into a few fist fights, but that’s all I remember. After he started fighting back we just ignored him and barely saw him after that.”

Branch saw Poppy frown as she listened. He shrugged after Ray finished. “I got tired of being hit with sticks and rocks. At the time it was the best thing I could think of. It worked though, after a few fights all the kids left me alone.” He defended. “Made it easier to forage after that.”

“You two have had a troubled relationship in the past. How would that affect the children?” King Quincy asked, looking down at Branch.

Branch thought for a moment. “It depends on how they act with Rose. Eva seems okay, but from what happened today Jay seems to not want to be friends with Rose. As long as Rose feels comfortable with them, then they’re fine to hang out. If she doesn’t want to play with them, she doesn’t have to.”

Ray kept quiet, not looking at them. Poppy looked at Ray and Elise, before looking at the others. “We have been here for a couple hours now, why don’t we pause this meeting until tomorrow?” She suggested, seeing the others nod their head in agreement. “Alright. Ray, Elise. Go home and think about what we talk about today. We will see you tomorrow.” She gave them a smile as they all stood up.

“Thank you Queen Poppy.” Elise said as she stood up before leading her husband out of the pod.

The leaders stayed in the room in silence for a few minutes. “Well, that was interesting.” Barb said as she broke the silence.

“I didn’t expect it to go this far, I didn’t know Jack was so troubled.” Poppy said as she sat back down. “I wonder if my dad knew any of this.”

“Why don’t you go find him?” Branch suggested. “Maybe he knows more about Jack than what he’s telling.”

“That’s a good idea. Peppy would know more, and if Jack is telling the truth.” Quincy added.

“My dad said they were going to ride around town today. They should be nearby.” Barb said, looking out the window.

“Why don’t we go down and see Queen Essence and see how she’s doing first?” Poppy suggested, seeing Branch perk up slightly made her smile. 

“I wonder how Rose did.” Branch thought out loud. “It’s weird not having her here, for a week she’s always been by my side.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Poppy grinned as she giggled. “Aww, Branch! You miss her.”

Branch’s face darker slightly as he heard the others chuckle. “Come on, let’s go see how they’re going.” Delta said as she made her way to the door.

As the other followed, Branch saw Poppy lagging behind. He took a few slower steps to keep her pace. “Hey, you okay Poppy?” He asked quietly.

“I’m…” she started, glancing up to see him. “I’m just shocked. He tried to hit you!” She frowned as she walked.

Branch could hear the frustration in her voice. “Hey, look at me.” He took her hand in his, causing her to stop. “You did amazing today. I know it was hard, but I’m very proud of how you handled it.” He lifted his other hand to move her bangs to the side of her face, resting it against her cheek. He saw her smile softly as she leaned into his hand. “Everything that happened is in the past. Jack may have tried to hit me, but he didn’t. I didn’t see what happened, but because of you and the others I’m fine.”

Poppy placed her hand on his, leaning into his hand more. “I just can’t believe it happened.” She sighed. “But we did get through to Elise. She seemed to want to make sure everything gets straightened out. She wants to help. Maybe we can talk to others and try to get them to understand the truth. There’s a lot of terrible stuff said about grey trolls, and they aren’t true!” 

Branchs eyes softened as his hand moved from her cheek to the back of her head, bringing her lips to his. He immediately felt her relax into the kiss. As he felt Poppy deepen the kiss, he heard a noise that coughed him to groan. 

Poppy frowned as they took a step back. “Seriously Barb?!” Poppy yelled out to her, crossing her arms.

“Hurry up before I puke!” Barb called back, pointing into her mouth as she made gagging noises with a mischievous smile on her face.

Poppy huffed loudly as she dragged Branch along. “Just you wait until I catch you kissing someone!” She said as she heard Delta and Quincy chuckle.

Barb laughed, causing Poppy to frown. “Oh Popcorn, you won’t be catching me anytime soon. I prefer to keep my relationships out of the public eye.” She said as she walked, placing her hands on the back of her head.

Poppy perked up. “Wait, does that mean you’re seeing someone?! Who?! Tell me!” Poppy asked excitedly, running behind her.

“What?! No, I’m not seeing anyone.” Barb denied, her ear twitching slightly.

“Come on!” Poppy pestered, grinning. She soon stopped when she realized they made it to the bottom of the tree. “Oh, we’re here! We are not finished with this Barb!” Poppy pointed to her before turning towards where Essence was earlier. She looked over to see Branch looking around, smiling to herself as she knew he was looking for Rose. “We’re back!” Poppy called, seeing Queen Essence, Prince D, and Clampers look over.

Branch looked between them, not seeing Rose. He suddenly saw a blur of grey popping up behind Queen Essence, jumping over her to run towards them. He chuckled when he saw her running towards him. “Hey kid, slow down.” He warned, chuckling as she ran into his leg. He felt her grip onto his leg tightly, burying her face in his leg. Branch knelt down and picked her up, feeling her grip onto his vest. He could hear her whimper as she pushed herself up and rubbed her cheek against his.

Poppy watched from behind, seeing Branch stiffen when Rose cuddled into him. She smiled as she saw Branch relax, seeing him hold her closer. She gently placed her hand on Branchs shoulder, causing him to turn towards her. “I said we will be back.” Poppy said softly, seeing Rose look over at her. Rose reached towards Poppy with her hand, letting out a soft whimper as she gripped the air. Branch gently lifted Rose over to Poppy, seeing her nuzzle into Poppy. “We missed you too Rose.” Poppy cooed happily, cuddling into Rose.

Branch walked over at Essence as Poppy talked to Delta and Clampers. “Thank you for watching her Queen Essence.” Branch said.

“Oh, it’s no problem dear.” She smiled at him as Quincy sat next to her. “How was the meeting? It was longer than I thought it was going to be.”

“There were some setbacks.” Quincy answered.

“What do you mean by setbacks, Q?” Essence looked at him. 

“Jack tried to hit Branch.” He said, causing Essence to gasp and look at Branch. “We will be talking over a proper punishment for him later, but he will be going to Lonesome Flats with Delta Dawn the weekend. He won’t be staying here.”

“Did he hit you before?” Essence asked Branch, see him nod. “Oh my. Why did he-“ she started but stopped when Poppy walked over with Rose.

“Sorry, Rose wants Branch.” Poppy said as Rose reached for Branch. Poppy handed Rose back to Branch, seeing her grip his vest tightly as she looked around.

“Rose was very good while you were gone.” Essence smiled as Rose rested her head against Branchs shoulder. “She did cry for a bit after you left, but she calmed down and sat next to me while she waited.”

“I’m glad she was able to calm down.” Branch said as he looked down at Rose to see her asleep. “The meeting today isn’t finished. Would you be able to watch Rose again tomorrow?”

“I’d love to look after her again. I’ll have to plan some things for us to do tomorrow! So the meeting isn’t finished then?” She asked.

“We cut it short today. Everyone was starting to get on edge with what happened earlier.” Poppy explained. “I also need to talk to my father about things that happened in the past.” 

“I had just seen Peppy not long ago. He and Thrash drove towards the little diner a few trees away.” Essence looked at her. “It is getting close to dinner time, I’m guessing that’s where they are heading.” 

“Dad really likes the punch they have there.” Barb added. “I’m sure that’s where they are.” 

“Then we should head over there. Would you like to come Dear?” King Quincy looked at his wife. 

“I need to finish cleaning up here first. I will meet you down there after.” She smiled at him as she stood up.

“Where is Cooper?” Quincy asked as he looked around. “He was with you earlier.”

“Cooper left just after you did. He said he has something to do.” Prince D explained.

“I see. I will talk to him later then.” Quincy said as he walked over to Branch and Poppy. “Shall we go then?” 

“Do you think it’s fine for Rose to come? She is asleep.” Branch asked, looking down at Rose who held onto him tightly.

“She will be fine to come.” Quincy smiled at him before heading towards the dinner.

“Thank you again Queen Essence, you too Prince D.” Branch said, seeing Essence smile at him before following Quincy.

“See ya later!” Poppy picked up the bag of Roses stuff and waved, seeing Prince D wave back.

“Clampers, why don’t you go to the park and play for a bit? I’ll meet you there in a bit.” Delta said as Clampers peered out of her hair.

“Okay!” Clampers jumped down and looked at Branch and Rose.

“Thank you for staying with Rose today Clampers.” Branch smiled down at her.

Clampers grinned. “It was better once Rose stopped crying. She just sat there and waited, didn’t eat anything. The food was good too. See y’all later!” She waved as she ran towards the park. 

“Come on guys! Hurry up!” Barb called as she walked towards the dinner. “It’s gonna close by the time you get there!” 

“We’re coming! Poppy said, looking back to make sure she didn’t wake up Rose as she made their way to the dinner.

As they caught up to Barb, she turned around and looked at Branch who was putting Rose in his hair. “Is it normal for a pop baby to sit there and wait? From what I’ve seen no baby just sits there.” 

“Not normally. The kids normally always run around.” Poppy said, before looking at Branch.

“Rose probably felt alone. It’s hard to trust someone you don’t know. The past week Rose has never left my side, other than the meeting today. She is use to Poppy and I always being there, so today pushed her into an uncomfortable situation. Sitting and waiting was most likely her way of coping with that situation. It’s actually good, she was able to calm herself down and get used to what was happening around her. Since she will be with Queen Essence again tomorrow, she will get more use to her and play for a bit if she feels comfortable. She knows now that when we say we will be back. She can relax because she knows we kept our promise today so we will keep it tomorrow.” Branch explained. “A promise to her is going to mean everything.” 

Poppy stared at Branch as he spoke, glancing up at his hair. “I didn’t realize a promise like that would mean so much to her, like a pinky promise.” 

“Even though she’s used to us, she is still unsure of everything. That’s why I’m always assuring her everything is okay.” Branch said, looking at her. 

Poppy stared up at his hair, gently reaching into it to touch Roses back. “Branch, make sure I don’t make a promise I can't keep to her. Okay?”

“A promise is everything to a kid. You break that promise, the kid can’t be sure if they can trust you after that.” Barb said as she walked, feeling all eyes were on her. “Though pop squeaks, I’m quite surprised at how dedicated you are to trying to change all the pop trolls' perspectives on grey trolls.” She couldn’t see Poppy ready to say something out of the corner of her eye, but spoke again. “And you bunker boy, need to get things together for Rose.” Barb said, getting a shocked look from Branch in return. Before either of them could speak Barb turned to them and grinned. “We’re here! Let’s go in.” She said as before walking into the dinner.

Branch and Poppy watched as she walked in then looked at each other. They both sighed as they mumbled to themselves as they walked in.


	26. 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why, hello there! I hope you’re doing well!   
> Here’s another chapter for you all! I hope you all enjoy reading it! Big thanks to Wildkat25 for the help with the chapter! I can’t wait to read your comment, so till next time!  
> I don’t own trolls, but Rose is my oc.

They all walked into the dinner behind Barb, looking around as Barb headed to the far corner of the seating area. Branch scanned the area as he walked in last, his eyes stopping at a table in back as he heard a familiar laugh coming from it. He looked over to see Barb already at the table with the others following suit. As he walked towards the table he tightened his hair around Rose, making sure she stayed asleep.

“Dad! There you are!” Barb's voice caused the two older trolls to stop laughing and look over at them. “We’ve been looking for you two.”

“Barbara!” Thrash raised his hand shakily as Barb sat next to him. 

“Hey daddy, have you had your juice today?” She said as she reached for his drink, checking to see what he ordered. 

“Yes.” He replied, licking his lips as he reached for more of his fries. “We-we were, we were gonna go soon.” He started as he looked over at Peppy. “Gotta show, show this old man who, who, gonna, who’s better at donuts!” He stuttered out before laughing along with Peppy.

“Then, you better show off those new gears you got added.” Barb laughed as she pressed a button on his chair, causing his chair to vibrate. “Are you finished eating? The others have to talk to Pep for a bit before you have that donut contest of yours. Why don’t we go practice outside while we wait?” She asked.

“Almost.” Thrash replied as Peppy looked at Poppy and the others.

“Thrash, why don’t you stay here and finish? I’ll be back once we finish talking.” Peppy said as he gathered his empty plates.

Thrash nodded as he continued to eat. Barb looked at the others. “I’ll stay here, you can fill me in later.” She said before sitting down at the table.

“Alright. It shouldn’t be very long, we will see you soon.” Poppy smiled before heading out the door. “We need a more private area, let’s go to my pod.” She pointed towards her pod that was close by. When everyone agreed she started walking towards her pod, walking next to her dad. “We had a meeting today, with Jack and his family.” She quietly told him.

“With Jack? What for?” Peppy asked.

“There was an incident yesterday with Rose, Jay, and Eva. They were bullying Rose.” Poppy said, seeing Peppy stop and down.

“They were bullying her?” He said as he started walking again.

“Yeah. They said some rude stuff to her, calling her a grey thing and an eyesore. Jay tried to take her notebook from her. Luckily Clampers and Delta Dawn came in time to stop anything more from happening.” She said as they got to her pod. “Make yourselves at home!” She said as she opened the door, letting the others in. “Would anyone like a thing to drink or eat?” 

Branch stood next to Poppy and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get those. You should finish explaining what happened.” He said, getting a smile in return before he gathered some glasses for everyone.

“Thanks Branch.” She said before sitting down next to Peppy, seeing the others give their request of water and sit around her table. “Queen Barb and I heard the bell from her book when Jay tried to take it and went to see what was happening. I walked to them about it at the time, and told them I wanted to talk to their parents about what happened. Apparently Jay didn’t tell them the truth and Ray and Elise verbally attacked Branch about it later that evening.” Poppy explained, seeing Peppy star at the table as he listened. “King Quincy intervened and stopped them, so there were two things we had to talk to them about.” Poppy let out a frustrated sigh. She took a moment as Branch placed cups of water in front of everyone, taking a sip of hers. “So during the meeting today, Jack started getting defensive about everything. He kept interrupting and making little comments through the whole conversation about the kids. Once we finished talking about the kids and sent them away, Jack barely let Ray talk. He kept accusing Branch of things, and wouldn’t stop. I asked him why he hated grey trolls so much, and Ray answered that his mother was grey. When Ray said that, Jack used the handle of his cane to hook Ray's arm to get him to stay quiet.” Her frown deepened as Peppy face turned to her, a shocked expression plastered on his face. “Jack didn’t go into detail, all he said was that his daughter was taken and his wife turned grey. He said she sat in bed all day, and somehow she led the Bergen’s to Ray.” 

“Jack said that?” Peppy frowned and looked at Branch. “Anne and Jack's daughter was taken, similar to Branch's grandmother.” His words caused Branch to freeze and stare at him. “She was out one day with her parents, and didn’t see the Bergen. Jack hesitated when he saw the hand, and Anne wasn’t able to get to her inside. She turned grey after losing her child, like others did at the time. It was a day before trollstice, so everyone thought we were safe. After that happened, I told Jack he needed to move. He didn’t listen to me, and kept Anne and Ray at that pod. The next day they got into that pod and took Anne. We thought they took Ray as well, but found him in a hollowed out wall an hour after. She didn’t spend the day In bed, she spent it trying to find a safe spot for her baby.” Peppy frowned. “I knew Jack didn’t like grey trolls, but from what I know he never really acted upon it.”

Poppy listened carefully to his story, but stopped when he finished. “Never acted on it? Jack tried to hit Branch during the meeting, in front of all of us!” She said, causing Peppy to gasp. “Apparently he has hit Branch and his own son before! Others have apparently hit Branch before as well.” Poppy explained, her eyes narrowed as she spoke. “From the sounds of it, Jack blames all the mistakes that happened on his wife because she was grey even though it is also his fault.” 

Peppy looked down. “I’ve heard there were a few fights years ago, but by the time I got there no one was around. I never knew it was you Branch. It makes sense, that was around the time I stopped seeing you around town.” 

Branch shrugged. “It was needed at the time.”

“None the less, he is is currently in the fungeon. I can not have him around and worry that someone else may get hurt. We will be discussing his punishment later on. I wanted to talk to you to see if there was a reason for his actions, and it seems there is.” Poppy said as she looked at them time. “Speaking of the meeting, we have to head out. Thanks for telling us dad.” She smiled at Peppy as she stood up.

“I would like to be there.” Peppy said, causing them to look at him. “Tomorrow, I would like to be there. If Jack or someone says something about what happened, I can make sure they tell the truth.” He insisted.

The others nodded in agreement as Poppy smiled. “That would be helpful, thanks dad.” She walked around the table and gave him a hug. “We will see you tomorrow then!” She said as she headed to the door, letting the others leave first.

“Hey, I’m going to head back now.” Branch said, causing the others to look at him.

“Oh, you’re not going to come to the other meeting?” Delta asked.

“Yeah. Rose may wake up soon and it’s been a long day already.” He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Quincy smiled down at Branch as he walked up to him. “That is understandable. Just know, you’re always welcome to come to the meetings.” He placed a hand on his shoulder. “We will see you tomorrow.” He turned and started walking towards the meeting area. Delta followed behind, waving as she left.

Poppy looked at him. “You can come if you want, you know.” She said as he nodded in return. “I’ll see you after the meeting then. I have to get a few things before I head over, but it shouldn’t be long.” She quickly kissed his cheek before skipping off towards the others.

Branch watched as she left, smiling softly before turning around to see Peppy still behind him. Branch jumped slightly when he saw the older trolls. “Sir, I didn’t realize you were still here.” He blushed slightly.

“Branch.” He started, looking at him. “I’m sorry I didn’t put the clues together earlier. I should have known what some of the trolls were doing.” 

Branch looked at him, slightly shocked. “I-um...you don’t have to apologize sir. You didn’t know, and I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t think this was how others were going to find out. I thought someone would see the scars sometime and ask.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Scars?” Peppy stared at him shocked. “You have scars from fighting?”

“Mostly from others throwing rocks and sticks, or being hit with stuff. Some from building the bunker as well.” He said quietly. 

Peppy looked down ashamed. “I’m so sorry Branch. I should have done more for you back then. I should have checked up on you more.” He looked up at him. “Does Poppy know about the scars?”

“She found out today when King Quincy noticed one behind my ear.” 

He nodded. “She hasn’t seen all of them then? She is going to want to see and know how you got every single one.” He said, causing them both to chuckle slightly. “Don’t be afraid to show her. She will be persistent about it, as you know, but she means well. She really cares for you.” He gave Branch a caring smile.

Branch blushed slightly. “I will try.” He said and paused when he felt movement in his hair. “I better go, It feels like Rose will be waking up soon. We will see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow Branch.” Peppy smiled before walking back to the dinner. 

Branch looked towards his hair as he felt Rose stop moving and headed back to his bunker. As he got to the bunker he felt Rose peek out of his hair. “So you are up. Are you hungry? Clampers said you didn’t eat.” He reached up to take her out his hair. She nodded as she rubbed her eye. “Okay, let’s get a little snack, supper will be in a couple of hours.” He held her close to his chest, feeling her rest her head on his shoulder as he opened the door and walked inside. 

Branch walked towards the kitchen, sitting Rose at the table before going to the fridge to get her a snack. Branch didn’t get far when he heard whimpering when he walked into the kitchen. “I’m right here Rose. I’m getting you some fruit and a drink for you.” He pulled out some grapes and water for her and went to the table. He saw her stand up in her chair as he walked to her. “How was it with Queen Essence and Clampers today?” He asked her as he placed her food in front of her, seeing her immediately grab a grape and stuff it in her mouth. 

She stared at him as she chewed her food, before slowly frowning and looking away. She grabbed her book and wrote quickly. ‘No go.’ 

Branch looked at her book, then at her. “I know you don’t want us to go, but sometime we will have to go.” He saw her lip quiver slightly at his answer. “But we promise we will always do our best to come back. Poppy promised earlier that we would be back, and we were.” He spoke softly as he saw her nod. “When we promise something, we will always do our best to keep it. I know it can be scary, but was it scary with Queen Essence today?” He saw her slowly shake her head. “Tomorrow won’t be scary either. Queen Essence said she will plan a few fun activities for you to do tomorrow. That sounds fun, right?” He smiled when he saw her nod again. “Just give it a try, okay? I’m sure Clampers will be there too. I’m sure she will make it fun.” He said as he noticed she barely ate her fruit. “Why don’t you finish eating and we can try to find something to do while we wait for Poppy?” He saw her smile slightly as she ate her fruit.

A little over an hour later Branchs ear twitched as he heard the elevator. He saw Rose quickly gasp and stand up, indicating she heard it too. “Don’t go too close to the elevator.” He warned, placing her on the floor so she could greet the elevator.

Rose ran full speed to the elevator, realizing when she was almost there that she wasn’t getting any closer. She looked down to see dark blue hair around her, keeping her from going closer. She looked back to see Branch stopped her from going closer, pouring.

“You were getting too close.” He warned again.

“Oh, she was fine, Branch. I was watching.” Poppy voice came as the elevator came to a stop. Branch let Rose go, watching as she ran to Poppy. “Looks like someone missed me!” Poppy knelt down to meet Rose with a hug. “I missed you too Rose.” She stood back up with Rose in her arms, holding her tightly as she felt Rose nuzzle into her.

“That took longer than I thought it was going to be.” Branch said as he stood up and walked towards her, noticing a bag behind her. 

“It ended a bit ago. I had to grab a few things from my pod before I came.” She smiled as she picked up her bags and walked towards the living room and placed her bag by the couch. “Take your vest off.” She said when she walked past Branch, making her way to the table. “Do you want to colour for a little bit before we start making supper?” She saw Rose nod and placed her at the table where she saw pages already sprawled out, not seeing Branch frozen in place.

Branch wasn’t sure if he heard her right. He stared at her as his mouth gaped open, unsure of what to say. “Um, I'm sorry. I don’t think I heard you.” He said, seeing her glance over at him.

“You heard me right. Take your vest off.” She said, looking him over. “Pants too.” She said before looking back at Rose. “What are you going to colour? This cute little bug?” She asked her, watching her grab a few markers to start colouring.

“I, um…” Branch stuttered, shocked at the request. No, not a request. He couldn’t believe the demand she gave him. “I’ve never..” He mumbled as he tried to find words to speak. 

Poppy looked up at Branch, leaning against the table. She noticed his face was flushed as he nervously played with his fingers, causing her to giggle at his reaction. She walked over to him, seeing his face turn brighter with every step she took. She stopped a couple steps away from him, noting to herself that he hadn’t stepped away from her. “You said you would show me the scars.” She said softly, not wanting to startle him. 

Branch stopped when he realized what she meant, blushing more as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously at his mistake. “Oh, right. That.” He looked away sheepishly. He glanced over to see Rose was focusing on her book. He nodded toward the couch and walked over with Poppy following close behind.

Poppy watched as Branch sat down. She sat down next to him as she noticed he was still nervous. “You don’t have to show me if you aren’t comfortable with it, Branch. You can show me another time.” She said, despite wanting to know how he got every one.

He shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m just, not used to showing them.” He explained. He slowly moved so his back was waving her and slowly took off his vest.

Poppy couldn’t help but stare at Branch. Her eyes followed the edge of his vest as it fell off his shoulders, revealing light blue marks on his back with a few dark blue ones mixed in. Her eyes fixed on his back, but sat there unspoken.

Branch glanced back at her as he placed his vest on the back of the couch. “The light marks are older scars. The darker ones are more recent ones, they’re from building the bunker and stuff.” He explained, staring straight ahead of him. 

Poppy stared at his scars. She never realized that the different shades on his back were scars. She rarely sees him without a vest, and when he is, his back is away from everyone. Her hand slowly raised her hand to gently touch a large light blue streak on his right shoulder, feeling him tense up at her touch. She felt him relax as her hand slowly made its way along the scar. As she moved her hand the fuzz slowly revealed the light blue healed skin. She could tell this one was the deepest. “This one looks bad.” She whispered.

He was silent for a moment as he stared at the wall. “It was caused by a stick.” He answered. He knew she understood what it meant, and didn’t need further explaining. Someone hit him with a stick.

Poppy nodded, staring at the different scars she found. Most were small ones caused by rocks, a few longer ones caused by sticks. Her eyes couldn’t leave his back as she examined every centimetre of his back, silently tracing each scar she came across. She soon placed her hand on his shoulder as she looked up to him. “Almost all of them look old.” She stated. 

“I learned to block the rocks and stuff with my hair after a couple years. I used to have a lot of trouble controlling my hair when I first turned grey, so most of the scars are from when I was under ten. I learned to use my hair as a shield. Not long after that I started facing them head on and that caused them to back off mostly.” He explained, glancing back at her to see her staring at him. “Most of the other scars I have are from building the bunker. I learned very fast that I needed head protection.” He said as he parted his hair on the left side of his head, revealing a blueberry sized scar. “Only needed to have that happen once before I learned that it’s always better to be safe.”

Poppy looked at the top of his head, giving a small smile. “So you’ve always been mister safety.” She teased.

“Anything to keep me from going to the medical pod. I always hated going there. I learned how to treat my own injuries after a while. I bought books on the best medical plants and their uses and stuff like that.” He turned so his back was against the couch. “I have some on my hands from the few fights I have, some from building as well.” He said as he showed her his knuckles and fingers. “I have some on my feet as well from foraging and building. My hands and feet are rougher and more calluses compared to others.” He explained as he stared down at his hands.

Poppy sat quietly as she listened to him talk, smiling as she took his hands in hers. “I like your hands.” She said softly. “I know you’re not very comfortable with the scars, but I like them. They show you have gone through something and came out stronger.” Poppy watched as he looked up at her. “You’re scars tell the story of you. They show you struggled at first to build your home, but learned to overcome obstacles and build this place. They tell me that you were hurt by others, but learned how to protect yourself.” She explained as she smiled at him. “I understand why you always want to be safe now.” 

Branch stared at Poppy, his mouth open as he listened. “I never...thought about them that way.” He looked down at his hands again. 

“Your hands may be rougher than others, but it shows how hard you worked with them.” She moved closer to him, her hands slowly going over his shoulders. “Your hands are you, and I love them. I always feel safer with you.” She said before placing her lips on his. She immediately felt him kiss her back as his hands went to her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her hand went to the back of his head as she deepened the kiss. 

A sudden noise between them caused them to pull apart. Branch looked at her confused for a second. “Was that your stomach?” He asked.

Poppy blushed as she giggled. “I missed lunch, so I’m starving! What are we making for dinner?” She asked as she stood up, her hand swiftly grabbed his vest before he could reach it. She quickly walked to the kitchen as she put his vest on, glancing back at him to see his confused expression.

“Why are you wearing my vest?” He asked. 

“It’s comfy!” She sang as she skipped into the kitchen and looked into the fridge.

Branch smiled and let out a small sigh as he stood up and walked towards the kitchen. He stopped next to Rose and looked down at her picture. “How is the colouring going? It’s looking good so far.” He said, noticing her empty cup. “Do you want some more water?” He saw her shake her head and turned to a page in her binder. “Juice. Got it.” He smiled and went to the kitchen, reaching over Poppy to grab the drink. “Give me my vest back.” He smirked playfully as he got a giggle from Poppy who immediately ducked under his arm and out of his reach, gripping his vest tightly around her. 

Branch turned around to see Rose staring at him. He knew what she was staring at and walked back over to her. “Do you know what those are?” He asked her softly, seeing her shake her head. “Those are scars. The long ones are from other trolls hitting me with sticks, and some smaller ones by rocks.” He explained, seeing her eyes widened. “They didn’t like that I was different from them. There are some trolls out there like Jay, who don’t understand. They don’t understand why we are different colours, and they may try to be mean to you. If anyone is ever mean to you and tries to hurt you, you come find me. Okay? I don’t want anyone to hurt you, Rose. It can be if they’re saying mean things about you, or hurting you physically, you come tell me.” He said softly.

Rose starred up at him, a frown plastered on her face before she crawled up onto the table. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, nodding against his shoulder. She quickly moved away from him, staring at him worriedly. He looked back at her confused for a moment, before chuckling. “They’re all old scars. They don’t hurt, you don’t have to worry about that. Come here.” He picked her up and brought her back for another hug, feeling her tightly hold him. Branch gently rubbed Roses back as she snuggled into him, hearing a soft sigh from the kitchen. He looked over to see Poppy watching them.

Poppy grinned when he looked over. “You’re both so cute!” She said, seeing Branchs face grimace in embarrassment from the comment. “Why don’t you two come help me with dinner?” She said, seeing Branch stand up with Rose and made their way to the kitchen to help. Poppy couldn’t help but soften her smile as she watched Branch and Rose happily help her.


End file.
